US lawmakers tell BBC Andrew should testify over Epstein files

5 hours agoImogen JamesRoyal Family 'have not been transparent' over Epstein questions, US congressman saysAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing growing pressure from US officials and the family of his prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre to testify in the US about his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking to the BBC, Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna said the Royal Family had "not been transparent", while Democrat Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez said King Charles III "should direct his brother" to go to the US to answer questions. Earlier on Tuesday, the King said the Royal Family were "ready to support" police in their inquiries. Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 containing no admission of liability.In the King's first intervention in the latest round of revelations in the Epstein scandal, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said if they were approached by the police, they stood "ready to support them" in their investigation. It added the King had "made clear...his profound concern" over allegations against his brother, and the King and Queen's "thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse".Thames Valley Police announced on Tuesday it was assessing a complaint by anti-monarchy group Republic over the alleged sharing of confidential material by Andrew with Epstein.The former prince appears to have knowingly shared confidential information with Epstein from his official work as trade envoy in 2010 and 2011, according to material in the latest release of files seen by the BBC.Andrew has been contacted for comment but is yet to respond.Police assessing claims about Andrew sharing confidential trade detailsEpstein emails: So-called 'shady financier' was Andrew's 'trusted money man'ReutersThe King is now facing pressure to tell his brother to go to the US to testify to lawmakers When asked by the BBC if the former prince should go to the US, Khanna said that would be "appropriate". The Congressman, who co-sponsored the law that compelled the justice department to release the Epstein files last year, also said the Royal Family should "come clean" and lay out what they knew and what "action they're going to take". "They have a large wealth, they should probably be compensating these survivors for the horrors that have taken place," he added. Khanna said the Royal Family were "finally" asking for an investigation, and that "these women have been denied justice". It comes a day after Khanna told journalists this was the "most vulnerable" the British monarchy had been, and said stripping Andrew of a title was not enough. "The King has to answer what he knew," he said.The former prince has also moved out of his Windsor home and is currently living at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk while his new permanent home undergoes renovations.Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, who is on the House Oversight Committee, called for more transparency from Andrew. Speaking to the BBC's Newsnight, she urged the King to tell his brother to "answer questions here at the Oversight Committee". "You cannot say 'I am protected because I'm no longer in the jurisdiction of the United States, so I cannot be held liable'," Fernandez argued.She also called for an inquiry in England. She said Andrew "was there, he knows who else was in the room with him. Who else was at those locations where these attacks took place?"Sky Roberts, the brother of Virginia Giuffre, piled on the pressure earlier on Tuesday, telling journalists: "I think he [Andrew] should show up in front of our Congress and answer questions."Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer agreed. The latest emails released by the US Department of Justice reveal there have been multiple unsuccessful approaches from US authorities for Andrew to help with Epstein inquiries.The former prince cannot be forced by a subpoena to go to the US, which has caused a lot of frustration. Last autumn, Democrats in Congress set a November deadline for the former prince to testify about what he knew about Epstein, but he gave no response.Since the release of three million more documents related to Epstein, there has been growing pressure on Andrew, with claims a second woman was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with him.Photographs appearing to show him kneeling on all fours over a female lying on the ground, both fully dressed, were also included in the latest batch of files.Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Being named in the Epstein files is not an indication of misconduct.