Keir Starmer Apologizes To Epstein Victims For Giving Peter Mandelson Ambassador Job
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized Thursday to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Washington despite his ties to the disgraced financier.
The Prime Minister said Mandelson “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew.” “I regret… that I believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him,” he said in a speech on Thursday.
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Starmer fired Mandelson in September following the publication of emails showing he maintained a friendship with Epstein after he was convicted in 2008 for sexual offenses involving a minor. 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.
Starmer has never met Epstein and has not been charged with any offences. But the prime minister is under intense pressure to appoint him after newly released documents revealed new details about Mandelson’s close relationship with Epstein.
“I was lied to,” Starmer said.
“It has been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and darkness of this relationship,” he added.
British police are investigating Mandelson for possible misconduct in public office. He is not accused of any sexual offenses.
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Documents released last week by the U.S. Department of Justice contain new revelations, including documents that suggest Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis. There are also plenty of chatty, playful messages that hint at a much closer relationship than Mandelson has previously disclosed.
The newly released files also show that between 2003 and 2004, Epstein sent three payments totaling $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or her partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva, who is now her husband.
72-year-old Mandelson has been one of the important and controversial figures of the Labor Party since the 1990s. He was forced to resign twice from senior positions in previous administrations due to money and ethics scandals.
He was chosen as ambassador because his business expertise, content network and mastery of the political “dark arts” were seen as assets in dealing with President Donald Trump’s administration.
Critics say Mandelson’s ties to Epstein make his appointment too risky and that Starmer is naive at best.
“I think it shows that the Prime Minister’s decision is questionable,” said Labor MP Paula Barker. “I think he’s got questions to answer. I think he’s got a long way to go to rebuild the public’s trust and confidence in our party.”
