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Mandelson Faces US Congress Over Epstein Links
Lord Mandelson is facing a possible summons to testify before the US Congress over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, as fresh disclosures trigger his resignation from the Labor Party and an effective retreat from public life.
Peter Mandelson talking to Jeffrey Epstein in an image that was released by US lawmakers last year. Photograph: Birthday book
Lord Mandelson is set to be summoned to give evidence before the United States Congress over his relationship with the convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to sources close to the House Oversight Committee.
The committee, which has led efforts to release millions of government-held files related to Epstein, is poised to issue the Labour peer with a demand to testify in Washington. Members believe Lord Mandelson may hold crucial information about individuals who allegedly enabled or were connected to Epstein’s crimes.
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The renewed scrutiny follows the release of documents by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday, which detail the extent of Lord Mandelson’s association with Epstein. In one email exchange from December 2009, when Lord Mandelson was serving as business secretary, he told Epstein he was “trying hard” to amend Labor’s policy on bankers’ bonuses after Epstein raised concerns about the issue.
Other correspondence shows discussions about Lord Mandelson staying at Epstein’s properties after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child prostitution. Images released as part of the DoJ files also show Lord Mandelson in his underwear next to a woman wearing a white dressing gown.
On Sunday night, Lord Mandelson announced that he had resigned from the Labour Party, saying he did not wish to cause “further embarrassment” over his links to Epstein. He confirmed that he had written to Hollie Ridley, the party’s general secretary, to step down from his membership.
In his letter, Lord Mandelson said: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furor surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this. 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.”
He added: “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.”
In the wake of the latest revelations, The Telegraph understands that Lord Mandelson will not return to the House of Lords. He is currently on a leave of absence and is not planning to end it, a move that would amount to an effective retirement from public life and avoid the prospect of further disciplinary action over his links to Epstein. He will, however, retain his peerage, which cannot be removed without primary legislation.
Lord Mandelson was sacked as British ambassador to Washington in September following earlier revelations about his relationship with Epstein, which he has said he regrets.
Congress cannot compel testimony from foreign nationals living overseas, nor can it issue subpoenas to them while they remain outside the United States. However, Lord Mandelson could be subpoenaed if he were to travel to the US, and failure to comply with such a request could make him liable to arrest.
The House Oversight Committee has also sought testimony from other Epstein associates, including Ghislaine Maxwell. In November, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, failed to respond to a request to testify before Congress.
At the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer urged Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to tell US authorities everything he knows about the Epstein scandal. Documents released on Friday include images of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor on all fours astride an unidentified woman, as well as evidence suggesting Epstein continued to advise the former duke’s businesses until at least 2017, seven years after Andrew said he had cut contact.
Further details in the newly released files allege that Epstein sent Lord Mandelson $50,000 in 2004 and paid £10,000 in 2009 to fund an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva. Three months after the final payment, the two men discussed Labor’s policy to reduce bankers’ bonuses. Epstein argued the policy should apply only to cash payments, not to shares or other incentives.
In response, Lord Mandelson wrote that he was “trying hard to amend” the policy and complained that the Treasury was “not being helpful”. The emails also appear to reference Jes Staley, another Epstein associate and former chief executive of Barclays, and suggest that Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JP Morgan, should “mildly threaten” Alistair Darling, who was chancellor at the time.
After the publication of the emails, Lord Mandelson said that “every UK and international bank was making the same argument about the impact on UK financial services” and that his conversations reflected the views of the financial sector as a whole, rather than those of a single individual.
The documents also show that Lord Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein for years after his conviction. Days before the 2010 general election, he wrote to Epstein describing then prime minister Gordon Brown as “bombing” and himself as “paralyzed”. After losing his ministerial position, he told Epstein he was “feeling jangly” and asked whether it was due to travel, anxiety over his book and job prospects, or stopping a cholesterol medication. A diary entry from September 2017 noted “Petey to spend the night”, using Lord Mandelson’s nickname with Epstein.
Lord Mandelson’s spokesman has said that neither he nor his husband has any record or recollection of receiving payments from Epstein and has questioned the authenticity of some of the documentation. Earlier this month, Lord Mandelson described his relationship with Epstein as a “terrible mistake” and said he had been “kept separate” from Epstein’s sex life because he was gay. He later apologized to Epstein’s victims, saying he was wrong to maintain contact after Epstein’s conviction.
There is no suggestion that Lord Mandelson has committed any criminal offence, but MPs have questioned his judgment in continuing a close association with a man already convicted of child prostitution.
The political fallout has continued to intensify. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of overseeing a “cover up”, saying on X that if the Prime Minister “had a backbone” he would have suspended Lord Mandelson’s Labour membership and launched an investigation into alleged financial links while Mandelson was business secretary and acting as deputy prime minister.
Following Lord Mandelson’s resignation, the Conservatives said Sir Keir had lacked the “backbone” to strip him of party membership by allowing him to step down voluntarily. A party spokesman said: “Keir Starmer and his chief of staff appointed Mandelson ambassador despite his relationship with Epstein and then refused to act even as the mountain of evidence against him grew. There must now be a full and thorough independent investigation.”
Labour MPs have also expressed frustration. Some pushed for his expulsion under party rules that forbid conduct “grossly detrimental to the party”, although such a move would have required a formal investigation and the backing of Sir Keir’s allies on Labor’s ruling National Executive Committee.
Andy McDonald, a former Labour frontbencher, said MPs were “weary” of the continuing revelations and described the latest tranche of documents as “beyond egregious”. One Labour MP said they intended to report Lord Mandelson to the Lords’ standards commissioner for allegedly breaching the Nolan principles of public life, which require integrity and honesty.
On Sunday, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said Lord Mandelson should account for an apparent “lack of disclosure” about his relationship with Epstein, which Downing Street sources said had not been declared to Sir Keir. However, he declined to comment on whether further disciplinary action would follow, saying that Lord Mandelson should answer questions about his own life.
A Labour Party spokesman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are investigated in line with our rules and procedures.”
Editor’s Note:
This article reports on allegations, document disclosures, and political responses concerning Lord Mandelson’s association with Jeffrey Epstein. Lord Mandelson has denied any unlawful conduct and has apologized for his judgment in maintaining contact after Epstein’s conviction. There is no suggestion that he has committed a criminal offence.
