The unprecedented arrest Thursday of the British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein may very well trigger a transatlantic fallout reaching the United States – and potentially ensnare President Donald Trump – a former Justice Department prosecutor argued on Friday.
Mountbatten-Windsor – formally Prince Andrew before he was booted from royal life and stripped of his title over his ties to Epstein – was arrested Thursday after new documents published by the DOJ revealed that he may have sent confidential trade information to Epstein in 2010 while he was Britain’s trade envoy. He was charged with misconduct in public office, a criminal offense that carries a potential life sentence.
Joyce Vance, a DOJ prosecutor-turned writer, argued on Friday that in an effort to “save his own skin,” Mountbatten-Windsor may very well “offer up” damning information on others once close to Epstein, with perhaps the most notable individuals in that category being Trump and many of his top administration officials.
“For the people involved with Epstein who hoped to be able to ride it out, staying quietly in the shadows, relying on other powerful men to protect them, Andrew’s arrest suggests that ‘Time’s Up,’” Vance wrote in an analysis published Friday on her Substack, Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance.
“Those people have to be very worried about Andrew’s arrest, which puts subtle pressure on other governments to follow suit and investigate those for whom there is credible information suggesting complicity. And beyond that, what all does Andrew know? Who might he offer up in an effort to save his own skin?”
The DOJ’s publication of files on Epstein has led to no major arrests in the United States, and worldwide, has only sparked a handful of resignations of political figures or business leaders. Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, however, marked a turning point, Vance argued, one that could set off a domino effect impacting political figures across the globe.
“The Telegraph had a photo of a deeply distressed looking former prince being driven home after dark, looking as though the discovery of how he could be treated if held accountable for his role had been deeply unpleasant,” Vance wrote.
“He could face up to life in prison depending on the type of charges brought. Understanding that can be the kind of revelation for a criminal defendant that causes them, for the first time, to tell law enforcement the truth.”