US says Prince Andrew refusing to cooperate over Epstein inquiry - but they aren’t giving up just yet
The FBI wants to talk to Prince Andrew about his deceased friend, the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The US says he is refusing to cooperate, but they aren’t giving up yet.
Prince Andrew is still refusing to cooperate with a federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators — despite a public pledge to do so, federal prosecutors said.
“Contrary to Prince Andrew’s very public offer to cooperate with our investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed via press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman said late Monday morning after an unrelated press conference.
“Our office is considering its options,” the New York Post reported.
Prince Andrew — the royal family black sheep who’s been slammed for his friendship with Epstein, and accused of having sex with one of Epstein’s young victims — has reportedly hired Britain’s “most formidable” extradition lawyer to defend him against the federal probe.
Back in November, he issued a press release saying he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations” but has since gone dark and lawyered up.
Mr Berman first lambasted Andrew in January over his lack of cooperation and assured reporters that “the investigation is moving forward.”
“Jeffrey Epstein couldn’t have done what he did without the assistance of others,” Mr Berman said at the time.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s main accusers, said she was raped by Andrew when she was 17 and forced to sleep with him at least two other times.
She called the forced sex quick and “disgusting.”
Andrew has since stepped down from his royal duties after a series of disastrous attempts to justify his relationship with Epstein and deny Giuffre’s accusations, including a now-infamous BBC interview in which he said he couldn’t have been as sweaty as his accuser claimed because of an old war wound.
Representatives for Andrew could not be immediately reached for comment.
PRINCE HIRES TOP LEGAL EAGLE
Besieged Prince Andrew has hired Britain’s “most formidable” extradition lawyer to protect him against an FBI inquiry into his late billionaire paedophile chum Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke of York was publicly criticised by US authorities in January for repeatedly failing to co-operate with the ongoing investigation into Epstein’s alleged sex crimes, the New York Post reports.
He is still so worried about being forced to talk, he is now hiring an “eminent team of lawyers” to “fend off” the FBI, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The 60-year-old royal’s legal team is led by Clare Montgomery, one of the UK’s leading extradition lawyers who has represented world leaders, including former dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Ms Montgomery charges $A2000-an-hour and has been described as “the most formidable member of the bar”.
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Prince Andrew also directly hired Gary Bloxsome, a criminal defense solicitor who works international cases — and is a crisis-management specialist. “He’s as sharp as a blade, he’s absolutely brilliant,” one acquaintance said.
Assembling the team shows just how “hugely seriously” the duke is taking the threat of legal moves to make him talk, sources say.
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