Khaberni - Jeffrey Epstein's documents have ousted former British ambassador in Washington, Peter Mandelson, from the House of Lords. The British Parliament announced today, Tuesday, that Mandelson will leave his position on Wednesday after new documents published by the US Department of Justice revealed his connection with the billionaire convicted of sexual crimes.
The chairman of the House of Lords said that “the Secretary of Parliament received (Tuesday) a letter from Lord Mandelson informing him of his intention to leave the council as of February 4th," according to "Agence France-Presse".
This came after a spokesperson for Downing Street earlier today said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer saw the need for "swift action" and ordered a bill to be drafted to deprive Mandelson of his seat in the House of Lords.
Mandelson was appointed in the mentioned council in 2008, but he took a leave at the end of January 2025, after being appointed ambassador to Washington. He was dismissed from his position in September after his connection with Epstein was revealed. The British House of Lords is one of the two chambers of the Parliament in the United Kingdom, alongside the House of Commons, and is considered the upper chamber of the Parliament.
Confidential Information
According to documents published by the US Department of Justice on Friday, it is believed that Mandelson provided Epstein with confidential information during his tenure as the Minister of Commerce in Gordon Brown's government. It is also believed that he sent Epstein an internal email in 2009 directed to the Prime Minister regarding the economic situation.
In another exchange of emails in the same year unveiled by the Financial Times, it appears that Mandelson proposed to Epstein to ask the chairman of J.P. Morgan to make a "mild threat" to the then British Treasury secretary, to ensure a tax reduction imposed on bankers' bonuses.
Moreover, bank statements showed that Jeffrey Epstein transferred a total of $75,000 (€63,200) through three bank transfers to accounts associated with Mandelson in 2003 and 2004.
"Picture with a woman in underwear"
Conversely, Mandelson, who was a deputy at the time, said he does not remember these transfers nor knows the accuracy of the statements.
He added on Sunday, he "could not recognize the woman" whose face was obscured by the US authorities, and who appeared alongside him in an undated photo showing him wearing a shirt and underwear.
On the other hand, Starmer's spokesperson described Mandelson's talk on Tuesday as "shocking," and said "It is really shocking to hear politicians say they do not remember receiving large sums of money. This leads to their loss of trust."
These documents mark a new chapter in the downfall of Mandelson who was one of the founders of what is called New Labour along with Tony Blair. He announced on Sunday evening that he would withdraw from the Labour Party so as not to "cause more embarrassment" to the party led by Prime Minister Starmer.
"Misconduct"
On Monday, Starmer ordered a comprehensive review of the communications between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure in a ministerial position, from 2008 to 2010.
London police later announced that they are investigating reports of "alleged misconduct during public office".
The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it would consider whether Peter Mandelson, who served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2004 to 2008, had violated any of the institution's rules.
