Republican lawmakers are watching as Democrats on the House Oversight Committee push to summon Andrew Mountbatten Windsor — the younger brother of King Charles III of the United Kingdom — to appear before Congress for a transcribed interview tied to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The committee’s ranking member, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), sent Andrew a letter requesting his participation by Nov. 20, pointing out that the former royal’s name appears in multiple documents released by the committee — notably flight logs from Epstein’s most infamous jet.
He was accused by one of Epstein’s victims of assault and was recently relieved of his titles, including “prince.” Andrew, who did not respond to a request for comment, denies any wrongdoing.
In the letter, Garcia stressed that the committee “is seeking to uncover the identities of Mr. Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers, and to understand the full extent of his criminal operations.” The letter was signed by Garcia and 13 other Democrat members.
Republicans on the committee swiftly responded: because Garcia is the ranking member on the minority side, his letter carries no binding subpoena power. The committee’s GOP chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), was not among the signatories. A statement from the Republican majority’s spokesperson accused Garcia of “chasing headlines and material for his next TikTok video,” and emphasized that the ranking member “does not speak for the Committee, and his letters carry no Committee authority.”
Importantly, while Congress has broad subpoena powers, it cannot compel a foreign national — especially a former royal citizen living abroad — to testify. In short, Andrew could legally ignore the summons. (RELATED: Prince Andrew Officially Stripped Of All Titles)
“Rather than assisting in the Oversight Committee’s legitimate investigation by joining the majority to enforce subpoenas issued to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Democrat Ranking Member Garcia continues to chase headlines and material for his next TikTok video,” a spokesperson for the committee’s Republican majority said in a statement to The Washington Post. “Ranking Member Garcia does not speak for the Committee, and his letters carry no Committee authority.”
Democrats on the committee have taken unilateral action in the Epstein investigation before, including by releasing documents, like a drawing of a woman’s body signed “Donald” that was included in a book of greetings compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. President Donald Trump has denied that he wrote the message or that the signature on it is his.
Epstein and President Trump were once friends and were photographed together at some events over the years, but Trump has said he ended the relationship. After Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Trump, then in his first term as president, said, “I had a falling-out with him a long time ago. I don’t think I’ve spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn’t a fan.”
“Rich and powerful men have evaded justice for far too long. Now, former Prince Andrew has the opportunity to come clean and provide justice for the survivors. Oversight Democrats will not stop fighting for accountability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators,” Garcia said in a statement.
In an unprecedented move, Andrew has recently been stripped of his royal titles and honours by King Charles III. Under a formal process initiated at Buckingham Palace, Andrew ceased to be styled “His Royal Highness” or “Prince,” and his peerage titles (including “Duke of York”) were removed. He will now go by “Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.”
READ NEXT: Pelosi Bows Out: Longtime Speaker Ends Congressional Career
