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A Democratic Party congressman has publicly called for the former prince Andrew Windsor to appear before the US House of Representatives committee that is carrying out an investigation into the official handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Bipartisan Pressure for Evidence

The declaration from Ro Khanna, a California Democratic representative who serves on the House oversight committee, comes after a UK trade minister, Chris Bryant, suggested that since Mountbatten Windsor has been stripped of his royal titles, he should respond to requests for details about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, an alleged sex trafficker who died by suicide while in government custody six years ago.

“Just as with any regular citizen, if there were requests from another jurisdiction of this kind, I would expect any decently minded person to comply with that request,” Bryant said.

The congressman stated: “Andrew should be summoned to appear before the oversight committee. The people have a right to know who was exploiting women and minors with Epstein.”

Political Landscape and Probe Developments

GOP members hold the majority in the House of Representatives, but amid public outcry over Donald Trump’s handling of the Epstein matter authorized an investigation by the House committee into how the authorities managed his prosecutions. Interest in the case surged in July, after the justice department revealed that a widely speculated list of Epstein’s associates did not exist, and it would provide no additional information on the case.

The congressional probe has thus far resulted in the release of tens of thousands of pages – including a lewd drawing apparently made by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday – as well as depositions from ex-government leaders.

Legal Actions and Challenges

As a minority party member, the representative lacks the authority to compel the former prince’s appearance. Representatives for the Republican committee chairman, James Comer, declined to comment about whether he thinks the ex-royal should be questioned.

Khanna and Republican Congressman Massie have introduced a bill to force the release of files related to Epstein, but Mike Johnson, a key presidential supporter, has blocked a vote on it. Massie and Khanna have distributed a petition that will force a vote on the bill, if 218 members of the House sign it.

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

The petition has been signed by all 213 House Democrats, as well as four GOP members. The final required 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 lawmakers to return to Washington until the Senate passes a bill to end the ongoing government shutdown.