Checking to see if you’re okay with State’s response. Thanks.







EUR Press,

Per below, we’ve received an inquiry from The Sun re Prince Andrew. In consultation with DOJ (cc’d above) we plan to respond with the following:

- Attributed to U.S. Government official: "The United States and the United Kingdom have a close, productive, and resilient law enforcement and mutual legal assistance relationship. We remain in close contact on many active cases on a daily basis, and will continue to seek assistance from the UK in criminal matters as we provide similar assistance in return."

EFTA00072580

- Attributed to U.S. Justice Department official: As a matter of policy, the Justice Department does not publicly comment on mutual legal assistance requests to and from our partner countries, including confirming or denying the very existence of such requests.

You all ok with this COA?



Thanks Aaron.

I'm following up on a story published on Friday by The Independent which says US authorities are becoming "increasingly frustrated" with Prince Andrew's failure to co-operate in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and the lack of information sharing had caused a "diplomatic strain" with the UK. US diplomats are said to have raised this with UK diplomats.

I'm looking to check the accuracy of this, as well as find out if there has been any form of response by the British authorities or Prince Andrew to the MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty) request lodged last summer by the DoJ? What is the current status of that request?

My understanding, from contacting sources in the UK, is that Prince Andrew's team have not had contact from the British authorities over the MLAT and consider that the matter has been kicked into the long grass. Is this a correct summary of what the US authorities believe has happened to the request?

I'm happy to chat off-record about this, in order for my story to be as accurate as possible.

Thanks,

On Tue, 17 Aug 2021 at 09:00, Snipe, Aaron D (London)

wrote:

Would you mind sending me an email with your specific inquiry? We’re trying to sort out who might be best to respond and I’d like to forward a note from you with specifics.

Thanks,

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