'Who's next?' - American lawmakers call for 'justice' in the US after Andrew arrest

US lawmakers have urged their government to follow the UK's suit and push harder on those who were close to Jeffrey Epstein, following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

"Prince Andrew was just arrested," Congressman Thomas Massie, who co-sponsored the law that compelled the justice department to release the Epstein files, wrote on X. "Now we need JUSTICE in the United States."

The King's brother, who was stripped of his titles last year due to his ties with Epstein, has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

Lawmakers have asked the former prince to come to the US to testify about his ties to the late sex offender.

Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who leads the House Oversight Committee, told the BBC that if the former prince did "nothing wrong, then he should clear his name".

"There's a lot more we want from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at this point and so our door is open and we will talk to him on his terms," Subramanyam said. "I will fly out to the UK if I have to. Whatever he wants to do."

Calling the arrest a "huge breakthrough", Subramanyam said Mountbatten-Windsor could not be legally compelled to come to the US and testify.

"I think a lot of victims actually liked seeing him lose his title," Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, said. "They knew how involved he was with Epstein and Maxwell and saw that for decades now there has been a lack of accountability for rich and powerful people."

Subramanyam said that seeing an arrest result from lawmakers' investigations, along with years of victims speaking out, shows that some accountability is beginning to take hold.

Democratic congressman Ro Khanna of California and Republican lawmaker Massie , who co-sponsored the law that compelled the justice department to release the Epstein files last year, said their actions are among the reasons for Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest.

"Even princes are not above the law," Khanna wrote on social media. "[Massie]⁩ & I forced the release of an email showing former prince Andrew allegedly shared state information with Epstein. On Feb 9th, I called on King Charles to investigate & answer questions."

Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace said she was the only member of Congress to publicly call for the arrest of the former prince.

"Today, on his 66th birthday, that call was answered," she said. "Who's next?. We will not stop until every co-conspirator, every enabler, and every powerful figure who hid behind wealth and connections is held fully accountable. No one is above the law."

President Donald Trump also weighed in on Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest.

Talking to reporters on Air Force One on Thursday, Trump said: "I think it's a shame, I think it's very sad, I think it's so bad for the royal family."

"I think it's a very sad thing. It's really interesting because nobody used to speak about Epstein when he was alive, but now they speak," he said.

The specifics of the allegations of misconduct in public office against Mountbatten-Windsor remain unclear, but they do not relate to any sexual offences. Police in the UK said it was assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by the former prince with Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor is among a long list of high-profile names included in the Epstein files released by the justice department, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, US President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, Peter Mandelson and Sarah Ferguson.

Many people whose names were included in the document have denied wrongdoing, and being named in the files does not imply criminal activity.

But US lawmakers have said they are committed to continuing their investigation, regardless.

"No one connected to Jeffrey Epstein will escape accountability for their crimes," Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, investigating Epstein's wrongdoing, wrote on social media after Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest. "Our work is just beginning, and we will pursue justice for every individual who participated in the abuse of women and girls."

Subramanyam and fellow Congressman Robert Garcia previously requested Lord Mandelson, the former British Ambassador to the US, to sit for a deposition regarding his relationship with Epstein.

On Thursday, Garcia said that request was denied because Lord Mandelson's lawyers said "he is unable to appear due to the ongoing investigation by the Metropolitan Police".