From 3 weeks ago.
Prince Andrew 'falsely portraying himself as willing', US prosecutor claims
US attorney Geoffrey Berman said Prince Andrew "has repeatedly declined our request" to schedule an interview.
The duke's lawyers previously rejected claims he had not co-operated, saying he offered to help three times.
He will not be extradited, the US government's chief lawyer has said.
US Attorney General William Barr told Fox News: "I don't think it's a question of handing him over. I think it's just a question of having him provide some evidence."
Prince Andrew stepped away from royal duties last year after an interview he gave to the BBC about his relationship with Epstein.
Epstein took his own life in a US jail cell in August, aged 66, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
The duke has been heavily scrutinised for his friendship with Epstein, but he has said he did not witness any suspicious behaviour during visits to the US financier's homes.
Mr Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, has criticised the duke in the past. In January he accused him of providing "zero co-operation" and in March he said Prince Andrew had "completely shut the door" on helping investigators.
On Monday, the duke's lawyers responded for the first time and hit back at the claims as "inaccurate".
Mr Berman then issued a statement, deepening the row. He said: "Today, Prince Andrew yet again sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to co-operate with an ongoing federal criminal investigation into sex trafficking and related offences committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates."
He said the duke "has not given an interview to federal authorities, has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview, and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally - through the very same counsel who issued today's release - that he would not come in for such an interview".
"If Prince Andrew is, in fact, serious about co-operating with the ongoing federal investigation, our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him."
The duke's lawyers declined to comment further. But a source said: "This is the third time Berman has breached his own confidentiality rules, further diminishing our trust in the DoJ's willingness to play a straight bat. It's frankly bewildering."
Earlier, the legal team said: "As the public record indicates the DoJ has been actively investigating Mr Epstein and other targets for more than 16 years, yet the first time they requested the duke's help was on 2 January 2020.
"Importantly, the DoJ advised us that the duke is not and has never been a 'target' of their criminal investigations into Epstein and that they sought his confidential, voluntary co-operation."
Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents some of Epstein's victims, told BBC Breakfast she thinks Prince Andrew has "very little credibility".
"I have a lot of suspicion about what he is saying through his representatives," she said, adding that she did not feel the same way towards Mr Berman.
She added that the victims are in pain and "deserve the truth".
"Questioning the motives of the prosecutors, I just think that's meaningless in this situation," she said.
"Let him step up to the bar of justice, take the oath and just tell the truth."
'Misleading account'
The duke's lawyers said they had asked US prosecutors to confirm the cooperation would remain confidential, adding: "We were given an unequivocal assurance that our discussions and the interview process would remain confidential."
They added: "The Duke of York has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DoJ.
"Unfortunately, the DoJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the duke has offered zero co-operation. In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered."
The legal team added: "It is a matter of regret that the DoJ has seen fit to breach its own rules of confidentiality, not least as they are designed to encourage witness co-operation.
"Far from our client acting above the law, as has been implied by press briefings in the US, he is being treated by a lower standard than might reasonably be expected for any other citizen. Further, those same breaches of confidentiality by the DoJ have given the global media - and, therefore, the worldwide audience - an entirely misleading account of our discussions with them."
The DoJ has made a formal request to speak to the prince as part of its Epstein inquiry, by submitting a mutual legal assistance (MLA) request to the UK Home Office.
Under the terms of a MLA request if Prince Andrew does not voluntarily respond, he can be called to a UK court to answer questions.
Prince Andrew 'falsely portraying himself as willing', US prosecutor claims
- 9 June 2020
US attorney Geoffrey Berman said Prince Andrew "has repeatedly declined our request" to schedule an interview.
The duke's lawyers previously rejected claims he had not co-operated, saying he offered to help three times.
He will not be extradited, the US government's chief lawyer has said.
US Attorney General William Barr told Fox News: "I don't think it's a question of handing him over. I think it's just a question of having him provide some evidence."
Prince Andrew stepped away from royal duties last year after an interview he gave to the BBC about his relationship with Epstein.
Epstein took his own life in a US jail cell in August, aged 66, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
The duke has been heavily scrutinised for his friendship with Epstein, but he has said he did not witness any suspicious behaviour during visits to the US financier's homes.
Mr Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, has criticised the duke in the past. In January he accused him of providing "zero co-operation" and in March he said Prince Andrew had "completely shut the door" on helping investigators.
On Monday, the duke's lawyers responded for the first time and hit back at the claims as "inaccurate".
Mr Berman then issued a statement, deepening the row. He said: "Today, Prince Andrew yet again sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to co-operate with an ongoing federal criminal investigation into sex trafficking and related offences committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates."
He said the duke "has not given an interview to federal authorities, has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview, and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally - through the very same counsel who issued today's release - that he would not come in for such an interview".
"If Prince Andrew is, in fact, serious about co-operating with the ongoing federal investigation, our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him."
The duke's lawyers declined to comment further. But a source said: "This is the third time Berman has breached his own confidentiality rules, further diminishing our trust in the DoJ's willingness to play a straight bat. It's frankly bewildering."
Earlier, the legal team said: "As the public record indicates the DoJ has been actively investigating Mr Epstein and other targets for more than 16 years, yet the first time they requested the duke's help was on 2 January 2020.
"Importantly, the DoJ advised us that the duke is not and has never been a 'target' of their criminal investigations into Epstein and that they sought his confidential, voluntary co-operation."
Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents some of Epstein's victims, told BBC Breakfast she thinks Prince Andrew has "very little credibility".
"I have a lot of suspicion about what he is saying through his representatives," she said, adding that she did not feel the same way towards Mr Berman.
She added that the victims are in pain and "deserve the truth".
"Questioning the motives of the prosecutors, I just think that's meaningless in this situation," she said.
"Let him step up to the bar of justice, take the oath and just tell the truth."
'Misleading account'
The duke's lawyers said they had asked US prosecutors to confirm the cooperation would remain confidential, adding: "We were given an unequivocal assurance that our discussions and the interview process would remain confidential."
They added: "The Duke of York has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DoJ.
"Unfortunately, the DoJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the duke has offered zero co-operation. In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered."
The legal team added: "It is a matter of regret that the DoJ has seen fit to breach its own rules of confidentiality, not least as they are designed to encourage witness co-operation.
"Far from our client acting above the law, as has been implied by press briefings in the US, he is being treated by a lower standard than might reasonably be expected for any other citizen. Further, those same breaches of confidentiality by the DoJ have given the global media - and, therefore, the worldwide audience - an entirely misleading account of our discussions with them."
The DoJ has made a formal request to speak to the prince as part of its Epstein inquiry, by submitting a mutual legal assistance (MLA) request to the UK Home Office.
Under the terms of a MLA request if Prince Andrew does not voluntarily respond, he can be called to a UK court to answer questions.
