NEW YORK _ Prince Andrew has "completely shut the door" on cooperating with federal prosecutors continuing to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Monday.
"Contrary to Prince Andrew's very public offer to cooperate with our investigation into Epstein's co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed via press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation and our office is considering its options," Berman said at an unrelated news conference.
Berman said in January that Prince Andrew had offered "zero cooperation" with authorities on the Epstein case. Authorities vowed after Epstein's suicide behind bars in August that an investigation into the sex offender's circle of acquaintances would continue.
Andrew has long denied allegations that Epstein loaned him a trafficking victim for sex.
In November, Prince Andrew caused a furor when he said in a disastrous interview with BBC that Epstein had "quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming."
"Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required," Andrew said.
The ongoing scandal prompted Andrew to take a step back from his public role in the British royal family.
The New York Daily News reported last week that there are multiple threads of the ongoing Epstein investigation. Sources said one is focused on Epstein's alleged madame Ghislaine Maxwell, longtime assistant Lesley Groff and anyone who booked Epstein's massages. Another is examining whether any of Epstein's friends who received massages knew the "masseuses" were underage. An effort is also underway to solve the mystery of how Epstein made his money.
