Former UK ambassador arrested amid scrutiny over Epstein ties
Former U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson was arrested Monday as he faces scrutiny over files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, multiple outlets have reported.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement obtained by both the BBC and the Financial Times that they had “arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” withholding the name in line with British police rules not to name suspects until charges have been filed.
The statement went on to say the suspect had been arrested Monday in the London borough of Camden and transported to a police station.
In September, Mandelson was fired from his role as ambassador as he dealt with pressure due to his alleged ties to Epstein. In documents from the Justice Department, Mandelson continued a supportive relationship with Epstein after he had been in jail due to sex offenses.
Mandelson’s relationship with the disgraced financier had also been documented in files released by the House Oversight Committee in September, where he referred to Epstein as his “best pal” in a 10-page birthday note sent to Epstein in 2003.
In a post on the social platform X on Monday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said that “Peter Mandelson, the former British Ambassador to the US, was arrested today on suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
“This is after files revealed Jeffrey Epstein sent $75,000 to accounts connected to him. As we have said before: no one is above the law. We will make sure accountability and justice come to everyone in Epstein’s world,” they added.
A London police criminal investigation focused on Mandelson began earlier this month, the Financial Times reported. Police officers were spotted outside Mandelson’s London home on Friday and two of his properties have been searched, GB News reported .
Wrongdoing in the case has been refuted by Mandelson, per the Financial Times.
The Financial Times also reported that in a recent release of files linked to Epstein from the Justice Department, Mandelson handed over U.K. government information to Epstein while in official government roles.
British police last week arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in a probe focused on his connections with Epstein. The former prince, one of the most famous acquaintances of Epstein, was also arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, though no charges have been pressed for now. He served as the U.K.’s trade envoy during the 2000s.
Mandelson’s ties to Epstein have also landed U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed Mandelson to his U.S. post, in hot water. He said earlier in February that he would not back down from leading his party even as members of his own staff resigned amid the fallout, according to The Associated Press .
“Every fight I have ever been in, I’ve won,” he told Labour lawmakers at a meeting in Parliament.
Starmer has apologized to Epstein’s victims for appointing Mandelson to his position.
“I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him, and sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again,” Starmer said during a speech in East Sussex in February, according to The Associated Press .
Updated at 2:10 p.m. EST
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