In Epstein Case, a 'Rare Move' on Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew's problems just intensified. In what NBC News calls a "rare move," federal prosecutors in New York have formally sent a message through the UK government asking to speak with the prince in regard to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. Similar to a subpoena, the request via a mutual legal assistance treaty, or MLAT, came after US officials noted in March they were considering legal options after Prince Andrew "shut the door" on voluntarily cooperating with the investigation. Buckingham Palace hasn't yet responded to requests for comment on this development, and Britain's Home Office, the agency responsible for the nation's safety and security, isn't responding other than to give a nonresponse.

"As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, we neither confirm nor deny the existence of mutual legal assistance requests," a Home Office spokesperson said Monday, per USA Today. Meanwhile, Fox News reports on a development regarding the "disastrous" BBC interview Prince Andrew gave in November, in which he spoke of his relationship to Epstein and denied knowing Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre. The chat with journalist Emily Maitlis has been nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts TV award for best news coverage, per a Thursday announcement. The prince's nephew, Prince William, is BAFTA's current president. (More Prince Andrew stories.)