Prince Andrew, reportedly, sought the help of a Washington lobbyist linked to the Trump administration about the Jeffrey Epstein case. The Duke of York's legal team apparently had consultations with Robert Stryk, who specializes in diplomatic and sensitive legal issues.
According to the New York Times, Stryk is not a lawyer but Prince Andrew's legal team, the London-based firm Blackfords, went to the Washington lobbyist for a still undetermined type of assistance. Stryk has helped many international figures with "unsavory reputations" or sensitive legal cases on a diplomatic level.
But the Times reported that the arrangement between Stryk and Prince Andrew's lawyers "fizzled." A source stated that the Washington lobbyist was uncomfortable about helping the Duke of York, who has been asked to speak with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on what he knows about his friend, Epstein's illegal activities.
Prince Andrew has not been charged in connection to Epstein's case and he has yet to talk to the authorities. However, one of the women Epstein allegedly prostituted, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has come out to say that she had sexual relationship with Prince Andrew at least three times when she was still a minor.
The Duke of York denied ever meeting the woman in a BBC interview in November. That interview drew intense public backlash, forcing Prince Andrew to resign from his royal duties.
Meanwhile, the DOJ recently arrested Epstein's girlfriend and Prince Andrew's close friend, Ghislaine Maxwel,l following months of search for her whereabouts. Maxwell went into hiding since Epstein killed himself in August 2019, while waiting for his trial in prison.
Christina Oxenberg, the second cousin of Prince Andrew, said that Maxwell is "truly evil." Oxenberg said that she tried to offer Maxwell $1 million to "smoke her out" and interview her for a book but she was rejected.
The author also said that her cousin was seen as a "low-hanging fruit" by both Maxwell and Epstein. Oxenberg believes, however, that Prince Andrew must be in a state of panic considering what Maxwell knows.
If Prince Andrew is panicking, Queen Elizabeth is, reportedly, anxious of what further damage this arrest might bring to the royal family. According to The Sun, Buckingham Palace apparently fears that Maxwell will condemn Prince Andrew and drag him further into this scandal.
Maxwell and Prince Andrew's friendship didn't end after Epstein was re-arrested for his sexual trafficking activities. Prince Andrew even invited Maxwell to Buckingham Palace for a meeting last year as the Epstein case restarted.
