Mandelson could face police probe over government files leaked to Epstein
Peter Mandelson may now face police investigation after new emails suggest he passed sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein while he was still a minister.
The latest portion of documents released by the US Department of Justice and part of the so-called Epstein files appear to show the financier and convicted pedophile was sent internal deliberations from the heart of the UK government in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Both Reform UK and the SNP reported the 2009 email to the police.
Gordon Brown, then prime minister, called it “completely unacceptable”.
Documents show Lord Mandelson forwarded to Epstein internal email number 10, which was sent to Mr Brown by one of his special advisers. The note, which included an assessment of the state of the British economy after the financial crisis, claimed that the government had “saleable assets” that could be sold to the private sector to reduce debt.
Epstein, whose business relied on his knowledge of global finance, was convicted last year on child prostitution charges. Lord Mandelson was trade minister at the time.
Mr Brown announced five months ago that he wanted an investigation into “the sale of assets resulting from the banking collapse and related communications between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein”. He said he was told there was “no record of any communication between Epstein and Lord Mandelson on the matter”.
It came like this:
- Sir Keir Starmer says Lord Mandelson should no longer be a member of the House of Lords
- Britain’s top civil servant has been ordered to urgently review all communications between Lord Mandelson and Epstein during his time as a minister.
- Nick Butler, the special counsel who sent the leaked email, said he was “disgusted by the breach of trust that was likely intended to give Epstein a chance to make money.”
- Emails claim Lord Mandelson tried to arrange a tour of Downing Street for Epstein’s goddaughter
- Epstein joked that Lord Mandelson’s marriage to Princess Beatrice could be considered incest
In a statement on Monday, Mr Brown said he had “written to request a wider and more intensive investigation into the completely unacceptable disclosure of government documents and information as the country grapples with the global financial crisis”.
In another meeting in 2009, Lord Mandelson appears to have told Epstein that he would lobby ministers over the tax on bankers’ bonuses.
His bank statements for 2003 and 2004 also show that he received payments totaling $75,000 from the financier. Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson’s husband.
It comes as calls for Lord Mandelson to be stripped of his rank intensify. Sir Keir does not have the power to strip Lord Mandelson of his rank but called on the Lords to “work with the government to modernize disciplinary procedures in the House”.
According to existing regulations, a new law would be needed to abolish the nobility; The last time this happened was more than 100 years ago in relation to members of the nobility who sided with the Germans in the First World War.
10 sources not specified Independent He said the government was considering using the Lords Administration Committee as a way of removing him and that this might be “a quicker way of doing this given that it is a priority”.
The conduct committee may recommend the expulsion or suspension of a member for violating the code of conduct; This, if approved by the Assembly, will result in the removal of that member.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use that title. However, the Prime Minister has no power to remove this.”
“He calls on the Lords to work with the government to modernize disciplinary procedures in the House to ensure that colleagues who bring the House into disrepute are more easily removed.”
The official added: “Sir Keir Starmer has asked the cabinet secretary to review all available information regarding Peter Mandelson’s contact with Jeffrey Epstein while he was a government minister.”
Dan Neidle, the tax expert who first revealed the 2009 leak, said Lord Mandelson’s alleged actions may have breached the law.
He told Times Radio: “The question is: Is this just a scandal, or does it go beyond that? Is this really misconduct in public office, which is a criminal offence?”
The Prime Minister’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, said the criminal investigation was “a matter for the prosecution and the police”.
And speaking in the House of Commons, he added: “The exchange of undeclared funds, the passing of government information, let alone the fact that these exchanges were made to a convicted pedophile, is completely unconscionable.
“And the House will know that if any of these activities take place today, ministers will be swiftly removed from their positions and… may also be removed from their constituencies.”
An email exchange in the final part of the documents shows Lord Mandelson, while business secretary, lobbied to change the tax on bankers’ bonuses at the urging of Epstein. This comes as the so-called “super tax” was introduced by Chancellor Alistair Darling to restrict bank profits from being used to pay out jackpots.
A Dec. 15, 2009 email, apparently from Epstein, reads: “There is a chance of paying the tax only on the cash portion of the banker bonus.” The response from Lord Mandelson apparently said “I’m trying very hard to fix it” and added: “It’s a treasure trove but I’m ready.”
Two days later, an email exchange shows Lord Mandelson encouraging JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon to call Mr Darling and “mildly threaten” him.
The documents also show that in the final days of Mr Brown’s government, Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advance notice of the €500bn EU bank bailout.
In another email exchange revealed in the latest part of the documents, Epstein appears to joke that Lord Mandelson could marry Princess Beatrice, meaning “the queen will have a queen as her grandchild”.
At that time the eldest daughter of Andrew-Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson was 21 years old.
In an apparent email exchange on 5 October 2009, Epstein told Mandelson he could “marry princess Beatrice”, to which his Labor counterpart appears to have replied: “Remember, I’m already his Lord President.”
In response, Epstein wrote: “Does that make it incest, how exciting.”
Lord Mandelson had a long-term relationship with her now-husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva. He was removed from his post as ambassador to Washington last year after it was revealed that he continued to have contact with Epstein even after he pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution and soliciting a minor in 2008.
Lord Mandelson wrote to the Labor Party general secretary on Sunday saying he was resigning as a member of the party to avoid causing “further embarrassment”.
He added that he “wants to reiterate my apologies to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long ago.”
