A Republican member of the US House of Representatives, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, accused Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of committing sex crimes on American soil during a speech on the House floor. Massie listed more than a dozen individuals whom he alleged were associates or co-conspirators of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including Jes Staley, former Barclays chief executive; magician David Copperfield; and Thomas Pritzker, former executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Mountbatten-Windsor and the others named have denied wrongdoing.
Massie delivered the brief speech as part of his ongoing efforts to secure the release of over three million documents connected to the Epstein investigation, legislation he helped advance during the previous administration. He has initiated a petition to bring a vote on a second Transparency Act aimed at allowing state attorneys-general greater access to Epstein-related files to facilitate prosecutions under state law, and to assist survivors seeking information from these files.
The protection afforded to members of Congress under the Speech or Debate Clause of the US Constitution shields Massie from defamation claims related to statements made during legislative proceedings, enabling him to publicly name individuals he alleges were involved without facing legal repercussions.
Mountbatten-Windsor, also known as the former Duke of York, has never faced criminal charges in the United States but was accused in a civil lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre of sexually abusing her in 2001 and 2002 when she was 17. The allegations include incidents in New York, Epstein’s Manhattan residence, and London. Mountbatten-Windsor denied the claims, and the civil case was ultimately settled without an admission of liability.
Giuffre’s family issued a statement supporting Massie’s remarks, calling for a thorough investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor’s alleged sexual offenses in the US, not only against Giuffre but also other individuals reportedly known to them. The family also insisted that the Department of Justice is withholding many documents related to Epstein and his associates, and stressed the need for these records to be made public.
Separately, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by Thames Valley police in the United Kingdom on charges of misconduct in a public office. The allegations relate to claims that he improperly shared sensitive information with Epstein during his tenure as the UK’s trade envoy. British authorities are planning to engage with the Roberts family in the US as part of their inquiry.
Requests for comment from Mountbatten-Windsor’s office on Massie’s allegations were not immediately answered. The Department of Justice has not publicly responded to the call for further document releases.