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A Democratic congressman has publicly called for the former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to appear before the US House of Representatives committee that is currently conducting an inquiry into the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Bipartisan Pressure for Evidence

The statement from Congressman Khanna, a California Democratic representative who serves on the investigative House oversight committee, comes after a UK trade minister, Chris Bryant, suggested that since the former prince has been stripped of his royal status, he should answer demands for information about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, an accused sex trafficker who died by suicide while in government custody six years ago.

“Just as with any ordinary member of the public, if there were requests from another jurisdiction 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 oversight committee. The people have a right to know who was exploiting women and minors with Epstein.”

Political Landscape and Investigation Progress

Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives, but following public pressure over former President Trump’s management of the Epstein case authorized an investigation by the oversight committee into how the government handled his legal proceedings. Interest in the case surged in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s associates was non-existent, and it would share nothing further on the case.

The congressional probe has so far led to the publication of thousands of documents – including a lewd drawing reportedly drawn by Donald Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as depositions from ex-government leaders.

Legal Actions and Obstacles

As a member of the minority, the representative lacks the authority to compel Mountbatten Windsor’s testimony. Spokespeople for the committee’s Republican chair, Chairman Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he thinks the former prince should be interviewed.

The Democrat and Republican Congressman Massie have proposed legislation to force the release of files related to Epstein, but House Speaker Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has blocked a vote on it. Massie and Khanna have circulated a discharge petition that will require the bill be voted on, if 218 members of the House sign it.

“This is what my campaign with Congressman Massie has been about: transparency and justice for the survivors who have been courageously speaking out,” the lawmaker said.

The appeal has been endorsed by all 213 Democratic representatives, as well as four GOP members. The 218th signature is expected to be Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election in the state of Arizona last month, and awaits inauguration by Johnson. However, the House leader has refused to do so until the House reconvenes, and says he will not tell lawmakers to come back to the capital until the Senate approves a bill to resolve the federal shutdown.