Pressure on Prince Andrew as Epstein victims to demand US secret files release

Pressure on Prince Andrew is mounting today as ten of his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein’s victims are set to demand the release of US government files in which the disgraced royal is named.

Several of the women, some of whom have never spoken publicly before, are set to break their silence in Washington DC alongside lawmakers. Their appearance threatens to drag the Duke of York back into the glare of the Epstein scandal, despite his years of denials. The victims, who include Teresa Helm and Jess Michaels, are set to come together to call on America’s politicians to finally release secret records that could shed light on Epstein’s network of powerful friends and associates.

The move follows Donald Trump’sdramatic U-turn on a promise to publish the files. The president, once a close friend of Epstein himself, had pledged transparency. But he reneged just weeks ago - days after Elon Musk claimed Trump’s name appeared in the files. His refusal has fuelled suspicions of a cover-up.

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For Andrew, the timing could not be worse. Survivors say the records reveal more about the late financier’s ties to royalty, politicians, businessmen, and public figures - potentially leaving the Duke once again ensnared in a scandal he has fought for years to escape.

Two unlikely allies have brought the women together: Congressman Ro Khanna, a progressive Democrat from California, and Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. Together, they are spearheading a push to release the Epstein files in full.

The lawmakers have invoked the rare use of a “discharge petition” - a legislative move designed to bypass party leadership and force a floor vote. To succeed, the petition requires 218 signatures, representing a simple majority of the House of Representatives.

With all 212 Democrats already pledged, just six Republicans would need to defy Trump to tip the balance. But finding those votes will not be easy. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a loyal Trump ally, has condemned the effort. The Republican insists the House Oversight Committee is already reviewing Epstein-related documents and argues a separate vote is unnecessary.

The White House has already expressed its opposition. One senior official warned that backing the petition would be seen as “a hostile act”, accusing Massie and his Democratic partners of seeking headlines. “Helping Thomas Massie and Liberal Democrats with their attention-seeking, while the Department of Justice is fully supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration,” the official said.

Victims reacted angrily. “The longer they delay, the more it looks like a cover-up,” one survivor told the Mirror.

Last night, members of America's Oversight Committee met with the survivors of Epstein's alleged abuse. The discussion with the victims left top Republican Nancy Mace in tears and Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna, saying "this is a lot bigger than anyone anticipated." "There are some rich and powerful people who need to go to jail,' she said following the closed-door meeting. "I think everyone's frustrated as to why that hasn't happened before."

For Andrew, the sight of Epstein’s victims rallying in Washington is a stark reminder of his own tainted history with the convicted paedophile. In 2010, the Duke, 65, was photographed walking through New York’s Central Park with Epstein, two years after Epstein had already been convicted of sex offences. The image, showing the royal deep in conversation with his disgraced pal, has become one of the most damaging of his career.

He was later accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually abusing her when she was just 17, having been trafficked by Epstein. Andrew vehemently denied the allegations. But in 2019, a BBC Newsnight interview, intended as a chance to clear his name, backfired spectacularly.

His insistence that he had been at Pizza Express in Woking on the night Giuffre claimed to have been with him was widely ridiculed. Days later, he was forced to step back from public duties. In 2022, Andrew agreed to pay Giuffre a reported £12 million to settle her civil lawsuit in New York. The settlement carried no admission of guilt.

Since then, the Duke has sought a gradual return to public life. He has attended family services at Windsor and appeared alongside the King and other senior royals.

Epstein died in 2019, found hanged in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving 20 years in a US prison for procuring girls for him to abuse.