New Epstein arrest brings 'dramatic shift' that could start a domino effect in US: analyst

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could affect the United States, according to a political commentator who believes a precedent has been set.

The ex-Prince was arrested earlier today (February 19) on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Mirror columnist Christopher Bucktin described the arrest as an "almost surreal" moment that would have longer-term consequences for those in the US.

He wrote, "Whatever the eventual outcome, the message was unmistakable: status alone no longer guarantees insulation from criminal investigation. Of course, Andrew's arrest should not be seen as any indication of guilt, and there are no charges yet.

"He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. But the tremors have not stopped at royalty." Bucktin would pull up Attorney General Pam Bondi's comment on investigating everyone mentioned in Jeffrey Epstein's files. Bondi suggested such action could "bring down the government," and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could be a shift in the tide, Bucktin believes.

He added, "It was an astonishing warning. Not that the innocent would be exonerated. Not that due process would prevail. But that full accountability might destabilise the political order itself.

"If examining credible allegations against powerful individuals, like what the UK is now doing, risks shaking institutions, then those institutions demand deeper scrutiny, not gentler handling. The rule of law cannot function on the basis that some names are simply too significant, too connected, too politically sensitive to examine.

"The Epstein affair was never merely about one disgraced financier who died in custody. It was about an ecosystem of influence - the private jets, the island retreats, the cross-party friendships and the ease with which wealth seemed to smooth every obstacle. It was about how power protects itself."

Bucktin went on to suggest the activity in the UK over the former Prince's arrest could put pressure in the US to act similarly, as their "conspicuous" silence may be breached.

He wrote, "Justice cannot stop at one imprisoned accomplice while others retreat behind legal teams and influence. It cannot flinch because the truth might prove politically explosive. And it cannot accept that the potential embarrassment of the elite outweighs the public’s right to accountability.

"A birthday arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office should not stand alone as a rare spectacle. It should signal something larger: that no title, no fortune, no political office is sufficient armour against the law."