Mandelson’s relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was already known, but newly released files reveal that the Labor Party politician may have broken the law by sending emails to a dead sex offender revealing a wealth of information.
A spokesman for Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the emails sent to Epstein contained “potentially market-sensitive information”.
UK police are investigating whether Mandelson could face a criminal investigation. That investigation was announced on Monday, a day after Mandelson also left the Labor Party.
What are the new revelations about Peter Mandelson?
The new Epstein file release – more than 3 million pages of documents related to the US Justice Department case – reveals how Mandelson passed on sensitive information at the time of the 2008 financial crisis.
In one case, the UK government’s then-Business Secretary sent Epstein an internal government report that looked at how the country could raise money after the crash, including suggesting selling off government assets.
In May 2010, he sent another message saying “Sources have told me that the 500 billion euro bailout package is almost complete.” It came just hours before European governments announced a €500 billion deal in an effort to protect the euro.
Who is Peter Mandelson?
Mandelson, 72, has been a fairly prominent figure in British politics since the early 1990s, when he first took a seat in the House of Commons.
He was particularly known for his skills as a strategist and fixer, having worked as the Labor Party’s communications director even before holding elected office.
Mandelson held various ministerial posts in the governments of Labor Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including the organizational role of Business Secretary and First Secretary of State, often compared to the role of Deputy Prime Minister, neither of which was filled permanently.
He has been no stranger to scandal or resignation in the past, having resigned from Tony Blair’s Cabinet in 1998 over an undeclared loan for a house from a party colleague with ties to a media mogul. In 2001, he once again had to resign, this time on charges of trying to improperly influence a passport application.
He also recently returned as ambassador to the United States under the latest Labor Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. She was fired from the role late last year as her ties to Epstein began to emerge.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez
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