Is Prince Andrew ready to talk to the FBI about Jeffrey Epstein?

For the last several months and counting, people are left hanging on whether or not Prince Andrew will be called to testify about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein & Ghislaine Maxwell. 

Jeffrey Epstein ran a large, prolific sex trafficking ring, allegedly involving rich, powerful men. The names associated with Epstein so far have been current & former U.S. presidents, CEOs, and distinguished attorneys & academics. Epstein died in his prison cell in 2019 under suspicious circumstances. Maxwell is awaiting trial for her alleged part in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. 

Even after Epstein’s death, the U.S. Department of Justice wants answers. The DOJ says they’ve contacted Prince Andrew three times to answer questions about his friendship with Epstein, a claim Prince Andrew’s legal team denies. Now, one attorney representing sixteen of Epstein’s victims accuses the prince of playing “cat and mouse” with the DOJ. 

Jeffrey Epstein’s friendship with Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein in the 1990s by their mutual friend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell & Prince Andrew went to Oxford together in the 1980s. Their friendship lasted until 2010 when Prince Andrew traveled to New York to end the friendship. According to the prince, it was due to Epstein’s conviction. 

Jeffrey Epstein pled guilty to one count of soliciting a prostitute and one count of soliciting a minor as part of an incredibly lenient non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. government. Although they had enough evidence to try Epstein for running his sex trafficking ring at that point, his lawyers argued for the deal. 

Gloria Allred

Gloria Allred is a practicing U.S. attorney who is representing sixteen of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. She’s known for taking high-profile women’s rights cases. Since January, she has been calling for Prince Andrew to come forward and “stop making excuses.” 

“Rather than appearing to twist himself into a pretzel trying to come up with excuses to explain why the meeting with the FBI has not taken place, he should arrange a meeting ASAP, without conditions, without excuses, and without delay,” Allred said, wondering if Prince Andrew needed a “gold-plated invitation on a silver platter.” 

Allred also claims that more are coming forward. “I have now more victims contacting me in the last few days who have never come forward before,” she told Express. 

“On a silver platter” 

The Justice Department says they reached out to Prince Andrew three times during the course of their investigation. Prince Andrew’s legal team says that’s not true and is “bewildered” by the DOJ’s claim. Allred is accusing Prince Andrew of foul play. 

Gloria Allred is invoking the spoiled, rich prince imagery again, alleging that Prince Andrew & his lawyers are playing a “cat and mouse” game with the DOJ. Otherwise, why are they waiting to come forward? Do they need an invitation? 

“He’s playing a cat and mouse game,” the attorney said of Prince Andrew. “Does Prince Andrew want it presented to him on a silver platter with footmen delivering this invitation from the justice department to come and be interviewed?” 

Two sides

Since the case came to light, there have been two sides to the account, with Prince Andrew fervently denying accusations. First, Virginia Roberts-Giuffre came forward with allegations that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her on three occasions. Both Prince Andrew & Buckingham Palace “categorically deny” the allegations. 

Prince Andrew appeared on the BBC to try and clear his name. In a 45-minute interview, Prince Andrew tried to explain his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. While the Palace was satisfied, many people weren’t convinced Prince Andrew was innocent.  

It got worse after Ghislaine Maxwell’s arrest. This summer, more allegations came out against Prince Andrew. A released deposition from Ghislaine Maxwell’s upcoming trial included allegations that Prince Andrew molested Virginia Roberts-Giuffre with a puppet. 

Moving forward

The latest developments are that Prince Andrew has spent time with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, while she was staying in Scotland. Sources close to the Royal family allege that Queen Elizabeth wants Prince Andrew’s side of the story, possibly to do damage control. 

Although Buckingham Palace maintains Prince Andrew’s innocence, the Duke of York has stepped back from royal duties. He didn’t even appear in official royal photos of his daughter, Beatrice’s wedding.