[GRADE A1 — EFTA00022062 (DOJ MLAT interview request)]
The DOJ/FBI formally sought to interview Prince Andrew via the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, a formal diplomatic channel between the US and UK governments. The MLAT request identifies its subject as "H.R.H. Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, the Duke of York, also known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor" and states that "U.S. authorities seek to interview [him] relating to two ongoing criminal investigations."
The request was delivered to the UK government on April 7, 2020 (EFTA00022059). Internal FBI communications confirm awareness of the MLAT (EFTA00037454: "Were you aware of this MLAT that was sent to the UK requesting information from Prince Andrew?"). SDNY updates document the escalation: Andrew's counsel first declined a voluntary interview, prompting the formal MLAT process (EFTA00027424: "after his counsel declined to make him available for a voluntary interview, we notified OIA that we wished to proceed with an MLAT").
Attorney General William Barr publicly confirmed the DOJ wanted Andrew to "provide some evidence" (EFTA00023773). SDNY prosecutors pressed repeatedly for a commitment (EFTA00017042: "Please advise as to whether Prince Andrew will agree to be interviewed and, if so, when such interview will take place").
The MLAT request represents the highest-level formal US government action targeting a member of the British Royal Family in connection with the Epstein investigation. The progressive escalation — voluntary request → declined → formal MLAT — documents institutional resistance. The interview was never conducted.
WHAT THIS SHOWS AND DOES NOT SHOW: The DOJ considered Prince Andrew a person of investigative interest with relevant information about "two ongoing criminal investigations." The MLAT request does NOT designate Andrew as a suspect or target — it identifies him as a "witness." The failure to conduct the interview leaves a documentary gap that cannot be filled by this methodology.