KUALA LUMPUR – Prince Harry could have embellished the truth in his explosive memoir Spare as the book is not a sworn testimony or proof of his repeated use of cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.
Lawyer John Bardo, who is representing the Biden administration, argued that “saying something in a book doesn’t necessarily make it true”.
This is part of a suit brought about by conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation, which took on the Department for Homeland Security (DHS), questioning if the Duke of Sussex lied on his US visa application or received special treatment due to his position.
The foundation is also pressing for the government to make Harry’s visa application document public and any requests for waivers as admitted drug use should have disqualified him from entering the US.
According to court filings, the foundation claimed that the Duke “voluntarily – and for immense profit – admitted in writing to the elements of any number of controlled substance violations.”
“The Duke of Sussex did so despite the fact that it is widely known that such admissions can have adverse immigration consequences for non-citizens and despite employing pre-eminent legal advisers on both sides of the Atlantic.”
However, the DHS countered that it cannot confirm or deny the existence of the records the foundation is seeking, citing invasion of Harry’s privacy.
“The records are particularly sensitive because releasing them, even in part, would reveal Prince Harry’s status in the United States, which Prince Harry has not disclosed.
“Courts consistently hold that a person’s visa or immigration status is private, personal information exempt from disclosure,” it said in court filings.
Harry, in an interview on Good Morning America earlier, said the thought of becoming a US citizen crossed his mind but was not a priority in his life for now.
As per US Citizenship and Immigration Services policy, Harry has to renounce his title if he wants to be a US citizen, but his drug use could also be a reason to deny his application.
The Sussexes stopped working for the British royal family in January 2020, and settled down in Montecito, California with their two children.
His wife Meghan Markle is a US citizen and their children reportedly hold dual citizenship. – February 24, 2024