In mid-2020, the U.S. Department of Justice formally submitted a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request to the British government, seeking to question Prince Andrew as part of its criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network. The request effectively treated the Duke of York as a potential witness who could provide information about Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s operations. However, it also underscored U.S. frustration: prosecutors stated publicly that Andrew had provided “zero cooperation” despite his earlier pledge to assist “if required.” The move marked a rare escalation between two allied governments and reflected the DOJ’s seriousness in pursuing all leads connected to Epstein’s case.

Andrew’s legal team pushed back hard, accusing the DOJ of breaching confidentiality and “misleading the public.” His lawyers insisted that he had offered to cooperate as a witness—not as a suspect—but claimed that U.S. prosecutors refused to honor confidentiality protections. The DOJ, however, maintained that Andrew had failed to schedule any interview or deliver meaningful cooperation, leaving the investigation stonewalled. The episode further eroded Andrew’s credibility, painting him as evasive and unwilling to face real scrutiny in a criminal probe that had already ensnared his closest associates.


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