US prosecutors request Prince Andrew interview
Federal prosecutors issued a formal request to interview Prince Andrew as part of the government’s continuing investigation into accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a person familiar with the matter said.
Prosecutors had claimed that the embattled Duke of York failed to respond to earlier Justice Department inquiries.
Lawyers for the prince fired back Monday, claiming that Andrew offered assistance to prosecutors on “at least three occasions this year.”
“Unfortunately, the (Justice Department) has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the duke has offered zero cooperation,” the lawyers said. “In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered.”
In their previous discussions with federal prosecutors, the prince’s lawyers said, they were “advised ... that the duke is not and has never been a ‘target’ of their criminal investigations into Epstein and that they sought his confidential, voluntary cooperation.”
The lawyers described Justice’s formal request under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) as “disappointing, since the Duke of York is not a target of the DOJ investigation and has recently repeated his willingness to provide a witness statement.”
The lawyers did not elaborate on the type of assistance the prince allegedly offered.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, the chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan who in January said prosecutors were exploring other options because Andrew had stonewalled investigators, claimed Monday that the prince was again attempting to “falsely portray” his interest in cooperating.
Berman did not address the government’s new demand, but he said Andrew has “repeatedly declined” prosecutors’ requests for help. About four months ago, Berman said, the prince “informed us unequivocally...that he would not come in for such an interview.”
“If Prince Andrew is, in fact, serious about cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation, our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him,” Berman said.
Facing allegations that Epstein once forced a 17-year-old girl to have sex with the prince, Andrew announced in November that he was stepping away from his public duties as a royal. The prince and Buckingham Palace cast the allegations as “false and without any foundation.”
In a statement announcing the change in his public role, the prince said he continued to “unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
“I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required,” he said.
Federal authorities continue their investigation into the disgraced financier despite Epstein’s suicide in August in a Manhattan detention center, where he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.