FBI Probe into Prince Andrew's Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein "Parked" Until New Evidence Emerges
Britain's Prince Andrew speaks to the media during Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor Great Park, Britain following Friday's death of his father Prince Philip at age 99, April 11, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS
The FBI investigation into Prince Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been "parked" until new evidence is presented that can move the case forward, according to US authorities.
The decision comes more than four years after then-US Attorney Geoffrey Berman called out the prince for breaking his commitment to speak to investigators, saying the royal had provided "zero cooperation" to the FBI's investigation.
A source close to the case told the Mirror that the agents and attorneys who have worked on the case are "beyond frustrated" and "angry" that the probe has been shelved.
One of the victims of Epstein's abuse, who was awarded compensation from the Wall Street financier's victim's fund, labeled the move a "systematic cover-up".
The investigation, which included other high-profile and powerful men, has seen a gradual decline in hours spent pursuing the case since the end of last year, with resources being diverted to other major cases, including the probe into hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The legal source claimed that "hundreds of potential leads and dozens of possible victims have come forward in the Diddy investigation over the last month", which has significantly strained federal investigators' time and manpower.
Despite the huge public interest in Andrew's connection to Epstein, the Southern District of New York (SDNY) is not expected to officially announce the investigation's status per protocol.