Freshly disclosed legal documents have unveiled that the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein transferred £10,000 to the husband of Lord Peter Mandelson shortly after his release from prison in 2009. The revelation comes from a substantial cache of emails published by the US Department of Justice, shedding new light on the controversial financial links between the disgraced financier and the former British cabinet minister.
Financial Transactions Detailed in Emails
According to the newly released files, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, who married Lord Mandelson in 2023 after a long-term relationship, contacted Epstein in September 2009 requesting funds to support an osteopathy course and associated expenses. This communication occurred approximately two months after Epstein was released from serving an 18-month prison sentence for soliciting prostitution.
Epstein promptly responded to the request, stating in an email: "I will wire your loan amount immediated'y [sic]." Records indicate that just days later, Mr da Silva confirmed receipt of the money, writing: "thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning."
Ongoing Financial Arrangements
The documents further reveal that the financial relationship continued into 2010, with Mr da Silva providing his bank details to Epstein in April of that year. Subsequent emails show Epstein instructing his accountant to send $13,000 to Mr da Silva, followed by directions to provide "2k per month to reinaldo." However, Epstein later revised this arrangement, stating: "after rethinkoing [sic] send 4000 dollars only."
These transactions occurred while Lord Mandelson held the position of business secretary and deputy prime minister in Gordon Brown's government, adding significant political dimension to the revelations.
Mandelson's Response and Apology
Following the publication of these documents, Lord Mandelson issued a statement on Friday evening offering what he described as an "unequivocal" apology to Epstein's victims. The former minister expressed regret for maintaining his association with the financier after his conviction, though he maintained he was unaware of the full extent of Epstein's crimes at the time.
"I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards," Lord Mandelson stated. "I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered. I was never culpable or complicit in his crimes. Like everyone else, I learned the actual truth about him after his death."
Political Fallout and Previous Denials
The disclosure of these financial transactions follows Lord Mandelson's dismissal as the UK's ambassador to the United States by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in September, when details of his relationship with Epstein first emerged. This development contradicts previous assertions from sources close to Lord Mandelson, who claimed last September that any payments between Epstein and Mr da Silva were "inconceivable."
Earlier this month, in his first major broadcast interview since leaving government, Lord Mandelson told the BBC that he was "on the fringes" of Epstein's life. However, previous document releases have shown that he encouraged Epstein to "fight for early release" before his sentencing and expressed that he "think[s] the world of you" the day before Epstein began his prison term.
The latest document release, comprising approximately three million pages related to Epstein, continues to raise serious questions about the nature and extent of relationships between high-profile political figures and the convicted sex offender, with the Mandelson connection representing one of the most significant British political revelations to emerge from the files.
