Prince Andrew will be asked to give evidence about his links to Jeffrey Epstein in front of a US committee which is ‘extremely interested’ in hearing from him.
Stephen Lynch, a senior member of the US House Oversight Committee, revealed he wanted to speak to the King’s brother ‘regarding his involvement in all of this’.
The Democratic congressman added that he was ‘sure’ an invitation would be issued to Andrew about his association with the late American paedophile financier.
But the 65-year-old royal cannot be subpoenaed to attend a hearing because he is a UK citizen, and it would therefore be his choice whether or not to give evidence.
The Prince’s links to Epstein have dominated headlines for days with fresh focus on his sex accuser Virginia Giuffre‘s claims after her posthumous book was published.
Mr Lynch’s committee is currently scrutinising the bombshell documents known as the ‘Epstein files’, and Andrew faced renewed backlash after appearing in the latest papers tied to Epstein’s estate which were published by the committee last Friday.
The politician was asked by presenter Victoria Derbyshire on the BBC’s Newsnight yesterday: ‘Would you consider inviting Prince Andrew to speak to your committee?’
Mr Lynch replied: ‘We would be extremely interested in hearing from Prince Andrew regarding his involvement in all of this, yes.’
Stephen Lynch, a senior member of the US House Oversight Committee, spoke to Newsnight
Victoria Derbyshire also spoke with Annie Farmer, a victim of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
Questioned over whether he will ‘issue that invitation’, Mr Lynch said: ‘We will I’m sure, I’m sure. We’ve had an opportunity to interview a half dozen of these survivors, each one of them has really had a bond with Virginia Giuffre and I think these memoirs only strengthen that bond.
‘And I think for those on our committee, both Democrat and Republican that have seen the pain and anguish that has been experienced by these women, it will only increase our interest in speaking to everyone who was involved here.’
Ms Derbyshire also pointed out that committee chair James Comer has said he was looking to bring in former US president Bill Clinton for a deposition because of his association with Epstein.
She asked Mr Lynch whether he would ‘welcome that’, and he said: ‘He’s one of the individuals that if he has any information, yes, we would welcome him.
‘We do understand the nature of his involvement that he was on a flight that was humanitarian in nature, but anyone who had any involvement in this, we’d like hear from them as well.’
Ms Derbyshire also spoke with Annie Farmer, a victim of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
Ms Farmer and her sister Maria were among the first to make a complaint to the authorities in 1996.
Asked whether Andrew should share what he knows with the authorities, Ms Farmer said: ‘I’m not holding my breath that Prince Andrew will do that because he’s had a lot of time to share information that he has. But I also think that this is an opportunity.
‘This is a moment. If he wants to do right by Virginia and the rest of us, he could do something different and say, I have information I want to share because I believe it could be helpful.’
Virginia Giuffre photographed with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in London in 2001
American financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019
She added: ‘I think that there were a lot of powerful people that are implicated in this, and we know that powerful people protect each other.
‘I do think that people who are demanding accountability, the survivors and those who have stood with us, are not going to go away. We’re not getting quiet. So I think that ultimately we will know more and more information will come out about this.’
It comes as a poll showed four out of five Britons want Andrew to be formally stripped of his dukedom and pressure intensified on him to give up his Royal Lodge mansion.
Senior Tory Robert Jenrick said it was ‘about time Prince Andrew took himself off to live in private’ as ‘the public are sick of him’ after it emerged Andrew has paid a ‘peppercorn rent’ on his 30-room home for more than 20 years.
The Prince announced last week he would stop using his Duke of York title to avoid distracting from the work of the King and the Royal Family, but a YouGov poll yesterday found 80 per cent of the public back official removal of the dukedom instead.
Only legislation can strip the prince of the title, so it is currently held in abeyance.
The survey showed that 63 per cent of nearly 6,700 adults questioned were ‘strongly’ in favour of formal removal of the dukedom and 17 per cent ‘somewhat’ supporting the idea, while 6 per cent were opposed to it – 4 per cent somewhat and 2 per cent strongly – and 14 per cent did not know.
Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre, her posthumous memoir, was published yesterday
Andrew and Charles at Westminster Cathedral last month after the Duchess of Kent’s funeral
The campaign group Republic has, meanwhile, demanded a ‘full, unrelenting investigation’ into royal links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and efforts to protect Andrew.
Protesters from the anti-monarchy group unveiled banners reading ‘End Royal Secrecy’ and ‘What are you hiding? Royal Epstein Inquiry Now’ outside the gates of Andrew’s home in Windsor Great Park.
A copy of the Royal Lodge leasehold agreement, shared by the Crown Estate, which oversees the royal family’s land and property holdings, shows Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003.
It reveals he paid £1million for the lease and that since then he has paid ‘one peppercorn’ of rent ‘if demanded’ per year.
He was also required to pay a further £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005, according to a report by the National Audit Office.
The agreement also contains a clause that states the Crown Estate would have to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease.
Meanwhile, it was claimed Ms Giuffre would have viewed him relinquishing use of his Duke of York title as a victory.
The Prince vehemently denies Ms Giuffre’s allegations that she was forced to have sex with him three times including when she was 17 and also during an orgy after she was trafficked by Epstein.
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