Former UK Ambassador to the US and ex-Eurocommissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson has left the Labour Party. One of the "Epstein files" states that he allegedly received $75,000 from the American financier.
Peter Mandelson, Eurocommissioner for Trade from November 2004 to October 2008 and UK Ambassador to the US from February to September 2025, has left the ranks of the ruling Labour Party. The reason was information from the published "Epstein files" that he allegedly received $75,000 from the scandal-ridden American financier, The Guardian reported on Sunday, February 1, as noted by DW.
In a letter to Labour's General Secretary Holly Ridley, Mandelson writes that he has "no records or recollections" of receiving money from Jeffrey Epstein and considers these accusations "false," but he must "investigate" them. "At the same time, I do not want to cause further damage to the Labour Party, so I am leaving its ranks," Mandelson states.
Earlier that same day, UK Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed stated that Mandelson should testify before the US Congress about his connections with Epstein.
Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein
Bank statements from the published "Epstein files" on January 30 show that in June 2004, $25,000 was transferred three times from Epstein's accounts at JPMorgan to bank accounts opened in Mandelson's name, The Telegraph reports. Additionally, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice, Mandelson's husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, requested £10,000 from the American financier for osteopathy courses in September 2009 - and received it.
In September 2025, the publication of part of the documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's case led to Mandelson's resignation as ambassador in Washington. In published excerpts from an album prepared for Epstein's 50th anniversary, the British politician refers to the American financier as his "best friend." In emails, Mandelson urges him to fight for early release after being convicted of running a prostitution ring. In photographs from the "Epstein files," the former Eurocommissioner is depicted in a t-shirt and underwear in a room next to a woman in a white robe, her face obscured by a black rectangle.
"I was wrong to believe Epstein after his conviction and to continue communicating with him afterward," Mandelson admitted after the documents were published.
The Epstein Case and the Publication of Materials
American financier Jeffrey Epstein served time for running a prostitution ring in 2008-2009. He was arrested on July 6, 2019, on charges of coercing minors into prostitution, and on August 10 of that year, he hanged himself in his cell in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial. In December 2025, the first batch of documents related to Epstein's case was published.
On January 30, 2026, the US Department of Justice released over 3 million pages from the "Epstein files," as well as 2,000 related video recordings and 180,000 other images. Among other things, a form from the Federal Bureau of Investigation was published, detailing a complaint from a woman who accused US President Donald Trump of raping her when she was 13 years old. This woman had previously filed anonymous lawsuits against Trump but withdrew them each time, most recently just before the 2016 election, CNN reminded.
Previously published materials related to Epstein's case had already revealed connections with several well-known figures, including British Prince Andrew, who lost his royal title because of this. Additionally, JPMorgan paid $290 million as part of a settlement with victims, as it had served Epstein as a client for many years. According to the US Department of Justice, more than 1,200 victims were identified in the case materials.
