Jeffrey Epstein made $75,000 (£55,000) of payments to accounts connected to Lord Mandelson, bank statements released by the US Department of Justice suggest.
Between 2003 and 2004, Epstein appears to have sent three separate $25,000 payments referencing Lord Mandelson. The payments, documented in a recent release of millions of documents by the US government, raise questions regarding the late financier's connections with key political figures.
Lord Mandelson stated that he had no record or recollection of receiving these payments and added that he could not confirm their authenticity. He expressed regret for his past associations with Epstein, who was convicted for sexual offenses in 2008.
The first payment dated 14 May 2003, was sent to a Barclays account where Reinaldo Avila da Silva, Lord Mandelson's partner at that time, was listed. The account named Peter Mandelson as the beneficiary. Subsequently, two more payments surfaced in June 2004 to HSBC accounts, again referring to Mandelson as the beneficiary.
It remains unclear if these payments reached the mentioned accounts. Da Silva, who married Lord Mandelson in 2023, is also mentioned in the newly released Epstein files concerning a £10,000 loan for an osteopathy course.
Despite these revelations, the government, including Housing Secretary Steve Reed, stated that there was no prior knowledge of Mandelson's financial links to Epstein. Reed also clarified that Mandelson was removed from his position as the UK's ambassador to the US due to undisclosed matters.
Lord Mandelson, upon reflection, termed his relationship with Epstein a terrible mistake and reiterated his commitment to the victims of Epstein's crimes.
Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, had maintained a wide network of influential connections, making these latest revelations particularly consequential in the ongoing investigation into his dealings.
