Prince Andrew has provided 'zero cooperation' in Epstein probe
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • 4 years ago • 26 commentsBy: Sarah Fitzpatrick and Rich Schapiro
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Prince Andrew has provided "zero cooperation" in the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein's network of enablers, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said Monday.
Andrew, who has been accused of having sex with a teenage girl trafficked by Epstein, has publicly indicated that he would be willing to assist in any investigation related to the case.
But U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, speaking outside the late financier's mansion in New York City, said the FBI and New York prosecutors have reached out to the prince and his attorneys but have yet to receive any assistance from him.
"To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation," Berman said.
Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Epstein died by suicide in August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
In a widely panned interview in the fall, Andrew denied allegations he had sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says she was trafficked by Epstein when she was 17. The prince said that he had no recollection of ever meeting her — despite a widely circulated photograph showing otherwise — and that he was at a pizza restaurant with his daughter on the day in 2001 that Giuffre alleges they had the sexual encounter.
Virginia Giuffre with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell at Prince Andrew's London home in a photo released with court documents. Days after the interview, the Duke of York announced that he was stepping away from public duties "for the foreseeable future" because of the controversy surrounding his past relationship with Epstein .
"Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required," Andrew said in a statement.
Berman, before responding to a question about Andrew on Monday, acknowledged that his office typically doesn't comment on whether a particular person is cooperating in an investigation.
"However, in Prince Andrew's case, he publicly offered, indeed in a press release, offered to cooperate with law enforcement investigating the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators," Berman said in an event organized by nonprofit victim services agency Safe Horizon to raise awareness for New York state's Child Victims Act.
Berman also said the investigation into Epstein's enablers is ongoing. "Epstein couldn't have done what he did without the assistance of others, and I can assure you that our investigation is moving forward," he said.
Several victims have complained about the length of the investigation, but Berman declined to comment on its time frame. He also declined comment when asked whether Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime partner, is cooperating.
Maxwell's lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment.
Giuffre, speaking in her first television interview, told "Dateline" last year that she had sexual encounters with Andrew in London and on Epstein's private island.
The first encounter took place in Maxwell's London apartment, Giuffre said.
"Ghislaine woke me up in the morning and said, 'You're going to meet a prince today,'" Giuffre said in the interview, which aired in September. "I didn't know at that point that I was going to be trafficked to that prince."
Giuffre said they had dinner with Andrew and then went to a nightclub before returning to Maxwell's home. "I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein," Giuffre said Maxwell told her during the car ride from the club.
The sexual encounter with Andrew began in the bathroom and ended in a bedroom, Giuffre said.
"He wasn't rude or anything about it," she said. "He said, 'Thank you.'"
"I just couldn't believe it," she also said. "I couldn't believe that even royalty were involved" in Epstein's alleged network.
Giuffre said the encounters with Andrew stood out because of his title.
"He was a prince. He was famous. He's royalty. And it just stuck out in my mind," she said. "I grew up watching Disney just like most little girls grow up watching Disney, and princesses and princes were the good people in the world, and he wasn't."
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So some are sure Prince Andrew was involved with Epstein and young girls but what about tRump?
Epstein's brother said Trump flew once on Epstein's plane in 1997 from Florida to NJ and it's in the flight logs. It's also true that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein's plane. The flight logs record him as being present during 27 flights but apparently these were 27 individual flights during 6 extended trips to Europe, Asia, and Africa that Clinton took with Epstein. So there were a lot of stopovers and they visited many places during these trips.
So what? tRump has his own plane doesn't he?
There have never ever been any allegations against Bill Clinton and under age girls, EVER.
What do you think happened, the Clintons had any one with an allegation 'taken out'?
Plus, this seed isn't about BILL CLINTON
Now, now you are not supposed to mention slick willie and his numerous trips to pedophile island. Now as for Prince Andrew, I'm sure he fears the repercussions if he testifies. What happened to all the evidence they took from Epstein?
I feel sorry for the Queen. First her grandson and now her son. Sometimes family sucks.
My friend in the UK feels the same way, but I see it differently. He was like a prisoner in the gilded cage, forced into a life he would never get to the top of, just a cog in the 'Firm' wheel. He was extremely affected by his mum's death and the media's part in her life. He wanted out before Meghan, she gave him the way out in my mind. I'm so ticked when I see everybody blaming her for it all (have you read some of the social media posts on her? Awful). As if Harry was a spineless wuss. I don't blame them one little bit and in the end it will be a path for the monarchy to keep with the times. I mean, remember when it was Anne, Charles, Andrew and Edward? So who could blame Harry for building the life he wants, not the life he was born into, when he is young and can make it into a happy, satisfying life? Diana would have been with him 100%.
Nobody can prepare for that life, how would they even fathom that level of public scrutiny and hounding. British tabloids are ruthless and mean. I don't think Harry wanted to handle it either, he hated it before he even met Meghan. I just hope they are happy. And hey, so far they are in western Canada not far from us here in Washington!
Except it's kind of like having children. No matter how many books you read and how prepared you think you are there are always pieces that catch you and show you just how wrong your thinking and preparation was.
If you have ever read about what over the top tabloids are you will know there is no way to prepare. Like having a baby, you can't know until you do. Or when you lose a child. You know its really bad, but the reality is far worse and unimaginable. Try to look outside your own experiences to understand what different people go through.
I just posted that before I read your comment. There are some things we just can't know until it happens.
I understand it's hard to resist not mentioning Clinton for some.
Said the person who couldn't resist mentioning Trump.