Appeal to FBI: Andrew must be next target
Prince Andrew should be the FBI’s next target, urged lawyers for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell yesterday, a day after the British heiress was jailed by a New York court.
The FBI had sought in 2019 to interview the Duke of York over his involvement with Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, but, according to them, refused to cooperate. He is still said to be a ‘‘person of interest’’ to the federal agency.
Giuffre claimed she was groomed by Maxwell when she was a minor so she could be sexually abused by Epstein and Andrew. Maxwell, 60, was on Wednesday ordered to spend 20 years in jail for her role in the vast sex-trafficking ring.
‘‘We call upon the FBI to fully investigate Prince Andrew,’’ said Lisa Bloom, who represents several Epstein victims. ‘‘Virginia Giuffre’s civil case should be just the beginning. Everyone associated with Epstein and Maxwell should be carefully investigated.’’ ‘‘It’s high time for Prince Andrew to do the right thing . . . and co-operate with the FBI,’’ she said. ‘‘Until he does that, it is far too
soon for him to return to public life.’’
Meanwhile, Maxwell was preparing to appeal against her conviction as legal observers predicted that she would serve at least 15 years in prison.
David Boies, a lawyer for Giuffre, said the chances of a successful appeal were ‘‘very remote’’.
While it was inevitable that Maxwell’s sentence would be substantial, it could have been lessened had she taken responsibility for her crimes, he said.
‘‘In her statement at the sentencing she began to do that. I think that it was just too little, too late.’’