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A Democratic Party congressman has demanded the former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to testify before the US House of Representatives committee that is carrying out an investigation into the official handling of the Epstein case.

Bipartisan Pressure for Testimony

The statement from Ro Khanna, a California Democratic representative who is a member of the House oversight committee, comes after a British trade official, Chris Bryant, suggested that since Mountbatten Windsor has been stripped of his royal titles, he should answer demands for information about his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, an accused sex trafficker who died by suicide while in federal custody six years ago.

“Just as with any regular citizen, if there were formal requests from overseas of this kind, I would anticipate any decently minded person to comply with that request,” the minister said.

Khanna stated: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the investigative committee. The public deserves to know who was exploiting women and minors with Epstein.”

Political Environment and Investigation Progress

Republicans control the majority in the House of Representatives, but following public pressure over Donald Trump’s handling of the Epstein case authorized an investigation by the oversight committee into how the government handled his legal proceedings. Public interest surged in July, after the justice department announced that a much-rumored list of Epstein’s associates was non-existent, and it would share nothing further on the case.

The congressional probe has thus far resulted in the release of thousands of documents – including a lewd drawing reportedly drawn by Donald Trump for Epstein’s birthday – as well as depositions from former top government officials.

Legislative Efforts and Challenges

As a member of the minority, Khanna lacks the authority to subpoena Mountbatten Windsor’s testimony. Spokespeople for the committee’s Republican chair, James Comer, declined to comment about whether he thinks the former prince should be interviewed.

The Democrat and Thomas Massie have proposed legislation to mandate the disclosure of files related to Epstein, but House Speaker Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has blocked a vote on it. The two congressmen have distributed a petition that will force a vote on the bill, if a majority of representatives endorse it.

“This is what my campaign with Congressman Massie has been about: openness and accountability for the survivors who have been bravely sharing their stories,” Khanna said.

The appeal has been endorsed by all 213 Democratic representatives, as well as four Republicans. The final required signature is anticipated to come from Adelita Grijalva, who was elected in Arizona last month, and awaits swearing in by the Speaker. However, the House leader has declined to act until the House reconvenes, and says he will not tell lawmakers to come back to the capital until the Senate approves a measure to end the ongoing government shutdown.