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A Democratic congressman has publicly called for the ex-royal Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to testify before the House of Representatives investigative panel that is carrying out an investigation into the government’s handling of the Epstein case.

Cross-Party Pressure for Testimony

The declaration from Ro Khanna, a California Democratic representative who is a member of the investigative House oversight committee, follows 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 connections to Epstein, an accused sex trafficker who died by suicide while in government custody six years ago.

“Just as with any ordinary member of the public, if there were formal requests from overseas of this kind, I would expect any decently minded person to comply with that request,” the minister said.

Khanna commented: “Andrew should be called to testify before the oversight committee. The people have a right to know who was abusing women and young girls with Epstein.”

Political Landscape and Investigation Progress

Republicans control the majority in the House, but amid public outcry over former President Trump’s management of the Epstein matter authorized an investigation by the House committee into how the government handled his legal proceedings. Interest in the case flared in July, after the Department of Justice revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s sex trafficking clients was non-existent, and it would share nothing further on the case.

The House investigation has thus far resulted in the release of thousands of documents – including a lewd drawing apparently made by Donald Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as depositions from former top government officials.

Legal Efforts and Challenges

As a member of the minority, Khanna does not have the power to subpoena the former prince’s appearance. Spokespeople for the committee’s Republican chair, James Comer, declined to comment about whether he believes the former prince should be questioned.

The Democrat and Thomas Massie have proposed legislation to mandate the disclosure of Epstein-related documents, but House Speaker Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has refused to bring it up for a vote. The two congressmen 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 accountability for the survivors who have been bravely sharing their stories,” Khanna said.

The petition has been endorsed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four GOP members. The 218th signature is anticipated to come from Adelita Grijalva, who was elected in Arizona last month, and awaits inauguration by the Speaker. However, the House leader has refused to do so until the House reconvenes, and says he will not tell representatives to return to Washington until the Senate approves a measure to end the ongoing government shutdown.