Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) praised the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, calling it a long-overdue sign that powerful figures can be held accountable. The arrest follows the public release of Justice Department documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a disclosure Mace and several other lawmakers had actively pushed for in Congress.

In a statement issued Thursday, Mace argued that the moment represented a turning point in a case that has long drawn global scrutiny. She said a small group of Republicans stood firm in demanding transparency, helping force the release of the so-called Epstein files. According to Mace, the newly public information underscores that influential individuals who once believed themselves beyond scrutiny are now facing consequences.

Mace, who is currently running for governor of South Carolina, was one of four House Republicans — alongside Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), and then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) — who joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition last year. That procedural move compelled a vote on legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release documents connected to Epstein. Although former President Trump initially resisted the effort, he later reversed his position and encouraged Republican lawmakers to support the measure.

The legislation, titled the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed the House by a near-unanimous vote of 427-1. The Senate subsequently approved it without opposition, and Trump signed it into law in November. The Justice Department then began releasing documents in accordance with the statute.

Among the materials made public were records indicating that Mountbatten-Windsor had shared confidential information with Epstein during his time as the United Kingdom’s special representative for trade and investment, according to reporting by the BBC. However, authorities have indicated that the current investigation and arrest may not be limited to those specific disclosures. Mountbatten-Windsor was reportedly taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The former prince has long faced allegations connected to Epstein’s sex trafficking network. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, wrote in her memoir that she was trafficked by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to Mountbatten-Windsor and subjected to sexual abuse. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein or the allegations brought by Giuffre.

Mace has previously called for legal action against Mountbatten-Windsor if evidence showed crimes were committed on U.S. soil. In earlier remarks, she said that seeing him held accountable would send a powerful message that no individual, regardless of status or title, stands above the law. She framed the arrest as a validation of victims’ calls for justice and of lawmakers’ efforts to increase transparency around the Epstein case.

The arrest also follows significant consequences within the British royal family. In October, King Charles III stripped his brother of his royal titles amid the continuing fallout from the Epstein controversy. That decision marked a formal distancing of the monarchy from Mountbatten-Windsor as scrutiny intensified.

For Mace, the arrest represents more than a single legal development. She has portrayed it as evidence that public pressure and bipartisan action in Congress can produce tangible results. While the legal process will determine the outcome of the case, she maintains that the release of information and the arrest itself demonstrate that longstanding allegations involving powerful figures are no longer being shielded from public view.