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A Democratic congressman has publicly called for the former prince Andrew Windsor to testify before the House of Representatives investigative panel that is carrying out an inquiry into the government’s handling of the Epstein case.

Bipartisan Pressure for Evidence

The statement from Ro Khanna, a Democratic representative from California who serves on the investigative House oversight committee, comes after a British trade official, Chris Bryant, indicated that since the former prince has been stripped of his royal status, he should answer demands for information about his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, an alleged sex trafficker who died by suicide while in federal 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 honor that request,” Bryant said.

The congressman stated: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the oversight committee. The public deserves to know who was exploiting women and minors alongside Epstein.”

Political Environment and Investigation Progress

GOP members control the majority in the House of Representatives, but amid public outcry over Donald Trump’s handling of the Epstein case approved an inquiry by the House committee into how the government handled his prosecutions. Interest in the case flared in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s sex trafficking clients did not exist, and it would provide no additional information on the case.

The congressional probe has so far led to the release of tens of thousands of pages – including a lewd drawing reportedly drawn by Trump for Epstein’s birthday – as well as sworn statements from ex-government leaders.

Legislative Actions and Challenges

As a minority party member, Khanna does not have the power to compel Mountbatten Windsor’s testimony. Representatives for the Republican committee chairman, Chairman Comer, did not respond to questions about whether he believes the ex-royal should be questioned.

Khanna and Republican Congressman Massie have proposed legislation to mandate the disclosure of Epstein-related documents, but House Speaker Johnson, a top ally of the president, has blocked a vote on it. Massie and Khanna have circulated a discharge petition that will force a vote on the bill, if a majority of representatives endorse it.

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

The petition has been endorsed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four Republicans. The 218th signature is anticipated to come from Adelita Grijalva, who was elected in Arizona last month, and awaits swearing in by Johnson. However, the speaker has refused to do so until the House reconvenes, and says he will not tell representatives to come back to the capital until the Senate approves a bill to resolve the federal shutdown.