UK Politician Will Quit House Of Lords In Storm Over Epstein Ties
Among the explanations in the files are the following:
— In 2003-2004, bank documents show that Epstein sent three payments totaling $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or his associate Reinaldo Avila da Silva. Mandelson said he did not remember taking the money and would investigate whether the documents were genuine. But on Sunday he resigned from the ruling Labor Party, saying he did not want to cause the party “further embarrassment”.
In 2008, Epstein avoided federal investigation by pleading guilty to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution in Florida. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Emails and text messages show Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein continued after the financier’s sentencing.
— In 2009, Epstein sent da Silva 10,000 pounds (about $13,650 at today’s exchange rates) to pay for an osteopathy course. “Looking back, it was clearly a mistake in our collective judgment for Reinaldo to accept this offer,” Mandelson told The Times of London.
— Also in 2009, Mandelson, then the UK government’s business secretary, appears to have told Epstein that he would lobby other members of the government to reduce the tax on bankers’ bonuses.
— That same year, Mandelson sent Epstein an internal government report discussing ways the United Kingdom could raise money after the 2008 global financial crisis, including selling government assets. Mandelson wrote: “An interesting note to the Prime Minister.”
— In May 2010, Mandelson told Epstein that “sources tell me the €500 billion bailout” is almost complete. The message came hours before European governments announced a 500 billion euro deal to support the single currency.
epstein died by suicide in his prison cell In 2019, while he was awaiting trial on US federal charges accusing him of sexually assaulting dozens of girls.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein was “a betrayal on many levels”.
Streeting told the BBC: “For Jeffrey Epstein to maintain this association and friendship for so long after his conviction is a betrayal to his victims.” “This is a betrayal of not just one but two prime ministers” – Gordon Brown, who was Britain’s leader between 2007 and 2010, and Starmer.
An email was sent to Mandelson via the House of Lords asking for comment on the documents.
