Newly released documents from the House Oversight Committee show Jeffrey Epstein actively working to elevate Prince Andrew's public image even after Epstein's 2008 conviction, using his network to promote the Duke of York as a valuable social asset. The tranche includes more than 20,000 pages of emails, including exchanges in which Epstein encouraged close associates to meet and support Andrew while Epstein sought to rebuild influence within elite circles.
A January 2010 email published by The New York Post shows Epstein urging his associate Boris Nikolic to connect with Andrew at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the message, Epstein assured Nikolic that the prince was a friend and described him as "great fun," highlighting Andrew's personality as a selling point. The documents indicate Epstein was not merely offering praise but actively positioning Andrew as a charismatic and approachable figure who could help restore Epstein's own standing after his release from jail.
Epstein had been freed only months earlier, having served time for procuring a minor for prostitution. The emails suggest he used connections like Andrew to signal continued relevance among global power brokers. Nikolic responded positively after following Epstein's advice, later writing to Epstein that Andrew was "great."
These revelations add to growing questions about Prince Andrew's longstanding relationship with Epstein, a connection that Buckingham Palace has struggled to contain since the financier's 2019 death. The emails further indicate that communication between the two men continued even after Andrew publicly claimed to have severed ties.
Several correspondences released by the committee link Andrew directly to one of the most infamous episodes in the Epstein saga: the photograph of the prince with Virginia Giuffre. Epstein wrote in one email-quoted by the BBC-"Yes she [Giuffre] was on my plane and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew." The email directly contradicts Andrew's repeated expressions of uncertainty about the photo's authenticity.
Another email released through CNN shows Andrew pleading with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to keep him out of the widening scandal. In the message, Andrew wrote, "Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and that I knew and know NOTHING about any of these allegations. I can't take any more of this..." A second message captured by the committee reflects a similar plea: "Hey there! What's all this? I don't know anything about this! You must SAY so please. This has NOTHING to do with me. I can't take any more of this."
The leaked emails stand in sharp contrast to Andrew's public statements, including his 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to downplay the closeness of his relationship with Epstein. During the interview, Andrew said, "Now, still not and the reason being is that the people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful. He himself not, as it were, as close as you might think, we weren't that close. So therefore I mean yes I would go and stay in his house but that was because of his girlfriend, not because of him."
