LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) – The British government disclosed on Wednesday the first tranche of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s time as ambassador to the United States, including what was known at the time about his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
More documents are expected in the coming weeks, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government not wishing to prejudice an ongoing police investigation.
Here are some details from the first release of documents.
DUE DILIGENCE ADVICE
In a note labelled “Advice to the prime minister”, a due diligence checklist said Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein posed a “reputational risk”.
The document, which said it was based on checks conducted on December 4, 2024, said: “After Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was Business Minister and continuing after the end of the Labour government”.
“Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein’s house while he was in jail in June 2009,” the note said.
Alongside the due diligence checklist, a briefing note on the decision added that Starmer’s then-Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney had discussed Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein but Director of Communications Matthew Doyle had been satisfied with Mandelson’s responses to questions about contact.
Further correspondence and follow-up questions to Mandelson about the relationship were not part of this disclosure.
OFFICIALS’ CONCERNS
Government officials told Starmer that he would be “exposed” if anything went wrong if he chose to make a political appointment such as Mandelson.
“If anything goes wrong, you could be more exposed as the individual is more connected to you personally,” the officials said prior to the appointment.
Following the allegations about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein which led to his dismissal last September, Downing Street began a “fact-finding” mission to establish what happened around his appointment.
In a summary of a fact-finding call between Starmer’s general counsel and the government’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell in September, it says that Powell found the appointment process “unusual” and “weirdly rushed”.
Powell said he had concerns about Mandelson’s “reputation” in conversations with McSweeney.
According to the note Philip Barton, then the most senior government official at the Foreign Office, “also had reservations around the appointment”.
SEVERANCE PAY
Documents were published on discussions over Mandelson’s severance pay after he was fired. Officials said these began with a request from Mandelson to be paid the remainder of “the 4-year salary costs of the fixed term appointment”, amounting to 547,201 pounds ($733,523), the document said.
The government eventually approved 34,670 pounds in discretionary payments plus 40,330 pounds he was legally entitled to, totalling 75,000 pounds.
($1 = 0.7460 pounds)
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Elizabeth Piper and Sam TabahritiEditing by Gareth Jones)
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