(Adnkronos) – Former minister and former British ambassador Peter Mandelson has left the Labour Party to avoid “causing further embarrassment” due to his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson’s name appears among the millions of documents released on Friday related to the pedophile financier who died by suicide in prison: the highest number shared by the US government since a law mandated their publication last year. Some documents suggest that Epstein made payments to him between 2003 and 2004 totaling $75,000 (now £55,000). Mandelson states that he has no record or recollection of receiving such sums and does not know if the documents are authentic.
In a letter to the Labour Party’s general secretary, Mandelson writes: “This weekend I have been further linked to the understandable outcry caused by Jeffrey Epstein and I am sorry for it.” This is not the first time the former minister has been associated with Epstein: in September, Keir Starmer had dismissed him from his role as UK ambassador to the United States after revelations about their friendship.
