Lord Mandelson took £55K from Epstein, recordsdata point out | UK | News | EUROtoday

Lord Mandelson has stop the Labour Party claiming he does not wish to “cause further embarrassment” over his ties to late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The ex-cabinet minister, who was kicked out of his position as US ambassador final yr because of his historic hyperlinks to Epstein, featured in the newest batch of paperwork launched by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

The recordsdata seem to point Epstein transferred $75,000 (£55,000) to Lord Mandelson throughout three separate $25,000 funds in 2003 and 2004.

Mandelson says allegations want investigating

In his letter to Labour’s common secretary, Lord Mandelson stated: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.”

He added: “Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.”

“While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”

“I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.”

“I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.”

Lord Mandelson acknowledged earlier on Sunday he had no reminiscence or documentation of the three Epstein funds and could not affirm if the papers have been real.

He repeated his remorse for “ever having known Epstein” and for persevering with his affiliation following the disgraced financier’s conviction, apologising “unequivocally to the women and girls who suffered.”

Sacked as ambassador after revelations emerged

Lord Mandelson was dispatched to Washington by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in December 2024 because the UK’s ambassador, however was sacked the next September after additional revelations emerged about his friendship with Epstein, studies BBC News.

Messages confirmed he’d stayed in contact with Epstein following the US financier’s 2008 conviction, dispatching a collection of supportive messages.

Photos of the previous UK ambassador to the US in his underwear have additionally surfaced within the newest batch of Epstein paperwork.

A censored picture exhibits him positioned beside a lady whose face is not proven.

Lord Mandelson has stated he “cannot place the location or the woman and I cannot think what the circumstances were.”

When or the place the pictures of Lord Mandelson and the girl have been captured stays unknown.

Appearing within the paperwork or pictures does not imply prison exercise.

Emails present try to alter tax coverage

Meanwhile, emails within the recordsdata launched on Friday additionally present Lord Mandelson tried to alter authorities coverage on a deliberate tax on bankers’ bonuses, following requests from Epstein.

“Trying hard to amend,” Lord Mandelson wrote to Epstein in December 2009. “Treasury digging in but I am on [the] case.”

Lord Mandelson held the place of enterprise secretary below Gordon Brown’s authorities throughout this era.

Lord Mandelson has informed the BBC that each UK and worldwide financial institution was making the identical argument in regards to the affect on UK monetary providers, including: “My conversations in government at the time reflected the views of the sector as a whole not a single individual.”

Bank statements present three funds

The just-released financial institution data, initially reported by the Financial Times, appear to show three distinct transactions mentioning Lord Mandelson, who served as Labour MP for Hartlepool on the time, originating from Epstein’s JP Morgan financial institution accounts.

The opening entry, dated 14 May 2003, reveals a switch was dispatched to a Barclays checking account the place Reinaldo Avila da Silva – Lord Mandelson’s companion on the time – is called as “A/C”, sometimes an abbreviation for account.

In that cost, a “Peter Mandelson” is called on the account as “BEN”, which is commonly an abbreviation for beneficiary.

Two further $25,000 transfers went to HSBC accounts simply days aside in June 2004. Both transactions listing solely “Peter Mandelson” as “BEN”.

Whether the three transfers really reached any of the referenced accounts stays unsure.

Epstein struck a plea deal in Florida that resulted in his 2008 conviction. He acquired an 18-month jail sentence after admitting guilt to 2 costs, together with soliciting women as younger as 14 for prostitution.

Epstein was discovered useless in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking costs.