An American congressman has issued a stark demand for the British royal family to provide financial compensation to the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The call comes in the wake of newly released court documents that have drawn fresh scrutiny to the family's connections.
Congressional Outrage Over Royal Links
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California stated that the royal family should be "ashamed and horrified" by the associations revealed in the files. He specifically argued that they have a moral obligation to the victims. "They should be compensating each of the working class girls who were victims of the Epstein class," Khanna told the U.K.'s The I Paper in late December 2025.
This demand is directly tied to the release of thousands of pages from the Epstein case by the U.S. Department of Justice. The disclosure was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law championed by Khanna alongside Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Damning Evidence from the Released Files
The trove of documents includes emails and photographs that have intensified questions about the conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew. One notable image shows him reclining on the laps of two women, with Epstein's convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, smiling in the background.
Perhaps more incriminating is an email from August 2001 sent to Maxwell. The unidentified sender, writing from an address linked in other records to the "Duke of York"—Andrew's former title—claimed to be "up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family." Balmoral Castle is the Scottish estate of the British monarch. The message asked Maxwell, "Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?" and was signed "A xxx." The former prince has not publicly commented on this email.
Fallout and Legal Backdrop
Buckingham Palace had already moved to distance the institution from Andrew, announcing in October that it was stripping him of all his royal titles and military affiliations due to the allegations concerning his ties to Epstein. The palace has not yet responded to Khanna's recent call for victim compensation.
The newly public documents appear to lend weight to claims made in the 2021 civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers who has since passed away. Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor. That case was settled out of court, with no admission of liability from the royal.
The ongoing release of files ensures that political pressure, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, is likely to persist. Khanna's public demand transforms the scandal from a matter of personal reputation into a direct challenge to the institution of the monarchy regarding its ethical and financial responsibilities.
