U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced the news Monday.
January 27, 2020, 5:16 PM
5 min read
Federal prosecutors in New York along with the FBI have asked to interview Prince Andrew as part of their ongoing criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman for the Southern District of New York said Monday.
"The Southern District of New York and the FBI have contacted Prince Andrew's attorneys and requested to interview Prince Andrew, and to date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation," Berman said while standing on the front doorstep of Epstein's former East 71st Street mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where you can still see where the initials "J.E." were pasted on the inner wall.
"He publicly offered, indeed in a press release, to cooperate with law enforcement investigating the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators," Berman said.
Berman declined to elaborate on what prosecutors would like to know from Prince Andrew, although he said Epstein could not have committed the crimes he did without help from co-conspirators.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attend an athletic event at the London Stadium, Aug. 4, 2017 in London.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attend an athletic event at the London Stadium, Aug. 4, 2017 in London.Julian Finney/Getty Images, FILE
Federal prosecutors do not ordinarily disclose who is being sought as part of a criminal investigation, but Berman said the public had a right to know in this instance because Prince Andrew publicly indicated his willingness to cooperate.
In a November statement, the Duke of York said, "I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations."
The queen's second son has long been associated with Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison early last year. But Prince Andrew has downplayed his relationship with Epstein in the past.
The Duke of York acknowledged in November during an interview with the BBC that he "let the side down, simple as that" when he stayed at Epstein's New York mansion after he'd been convicted of sex crimes.
"I kick myself for it on a daily basis 'cause it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family and we try and uphold the, um, highest standards and practices," Prince Andrew said.
Epstein had been subject to state and federal investigations since the mid-2000s for allegedly recruiting underage girls for illicit massages and sex. He ultimately served 13 months of an 18-month term in a Florida county jail for two minor charges after avoiding federal charges involving allegations of abuse by nearly three dozen girls.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre alleged in court filings in December 2014 that she'd been directed by Epstein and his longtime companion, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, to have sex with Prince Andrew on two occasions when she was 17, and on a third occasion when she'd just turned 18.
Prince Andrew maintained in the BBC interview that "nothing" happened between him and Giuffre.
After the interview aired, the Duke of York was forced to step back from royal duties, saying in a statement that his ties to Epstein had become a "major disruption" to the royal family's charitable work.
ABC News' Julia Jacobo and James Hill contributed to this report.
