Attorney General William Barr confirmed the US wants Prince Andrew to “provide some evidence” about pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein — but insisted there are no plans to get him extradited.
“I don’t think it’s a question of handing him over,” Barr told Fox News’ “Special Report” Monday amid an ongoing war of words around the UK royal’s assistance in the ongoing investigation.
“I think it’s just a question of having him provide some evidence. But beyond that, I’m not going to comment.”
Asked outright if it could include extradition, Barr insisted, “No.”
Barr’s comments aired hours after the Duke of York’s legal team, Blackfords LLP, traded barbs with federal prosecutors over whether the shamed royal was willing to cooperate.
Andrew’s lawyers insisted he “offered his assistance” at least three times, accusing the feds of “seeking publicity” and treating him “by a lower standard than might reasonably be expected for any other citizen.”
Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman soon hit back, accusing the prince of trying to “falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate” in the “sex-trafficking” probe.
“If Prince Andrew is, in fact, serious about cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation, our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him,” Berman said.
The feds want to talk to him about his knowledge of Epstein, 66, who hanged himself in his Manhattan lockup in August while awaiting serious sex charges, as well as his associates.
“Importantly, the DOJ advised us that the Duke is not and has never been a ‘target’ of their criminal investigations into Epstein and that they sought his confidential, voluntary co-operation,” Blackfords said in its statement.
Andrew has been accused of having sex three times with one of Epstein’s then-teenage accusers, claims he has always vehemently denied.
He was booted from royal duties six months ago after a train-wreck BBC interview in which he tried to justify his long-term friendship with Epstein.