Prince Andrew at least a witness in Epstein investigation, Barr says in newly released files

Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr testified before the House Oversight Committee that Prince Andrew was 'at least' a witness in the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Barr said prosecutors had been trying to get the Duke of York in the door to question him, and that Andrew had provided zero cooperation to the FBI as of 2020, despite publicly offering to help the inquiry.

Barr, who served as attorney general from 2019 to 2020, noted that the transcript of his August testimony has been released along with a new tranche of Epstein files. Barr said he did not know whether Andrew was a target, but he said the prince had long been a figure the prosecutors sought to question due to his friendship with Epstein. Andrew’s ties to Epstein included visits to Epstein’s New York residence and travel on Epstein’s private jet, which has been referred to in public accounts as the 'Lolita Express.'

Barr recalled the January 2020 moment when Geoffrey Berman, then the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, held a dramatic press conference outside Epstein’s Manhattan mansion and accused Andrew of being unhelpful to investigators. Barr summarized Berman’s remarks, noting that the prosecutors had contacted Prince Andrew’s attorneys and requested an interview, but that Andrew had provided zero cooperation. According to Barr, the former boss should have been consulted before such a public confrontation, and he told lawmakers he did not fault Berman for pursuing the interview but for not running the approach past him first.

The testimony framed a public clash between SDNY and Prince Andrew over how to handle interviews related to Epstein’s crimes. Barr said the dispute centered on whether to compel an interview with the duke, and he suggested Andrew did not substantially engage with the inquiry. Andrew has repeatedly denied any involvement in Epstein’s sex crimes and has challenged claims made by Virginia Giuffre that she was forced to have sex with him on multiple occasions. He has also denied knowledge of Epstein’s abusive conduct. In 2019, Andrew spoke with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, a televised exchange that led to intense scrutiny and ultimately to his stepping back from royal duties. He has not visited the United States since the FBI expressed an interest in speaking with him, a development that strained his public role as a royal patron.

Over the past weeks, the House Oversight Committee has begun releasing hundreds of pages of Epstein-related documents from the estate, part of an ongoing effort to shed light on the long-running case. Barr’s remarks come as the committee reviews how federal investigators pursued Epstein and how other witnesses in Epstein’s circle were treated in the process, with new transcripts and files continuing to surface. The disclosures occur against a backdrop of broader public interest in the Epstein case and its fallout for associates, allies, and institutions connected to Epstein’s wide network and alleged conspirators. World news outlets and lawmakers alike have tracked the widening release of materials, including transcripts of Barr’s testimony and related documents, as they seek to understand the full timeline of investigations, interviews, and potential targets.