A JP Morgan internal report from 2019 has revealed apparent contact between Lord Peter Mandelson and the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, court documents show. The report, filed to a New York court this week, examined the bank's 15-year relationship with Epstein and noted that he seemed to maintain a 'particularly close relationship' with the Labour peer and Prince Andrew.
The document includes an email from Epstein to his private banker, Jes Staley, on 17 June 2009, stating: 'Peter will be staying at 71st over weekend, do you want to organize either you, or you and Jamie,, quiertly [sic],, up to you.' At the time, Mandelson was business secretary in Gordon Brown's government. Another email from Mandelson to Epstein in March 2010 requested: 'Can Jes send me email on issues re Dodds/Volcker,' relating to US financial regulations.
The report also references two occasions in November 2010 and January 2011 when Epstein said he was with 'Petie', interpreted as Mandelson, after the peer had left government. A spokesperson for Mandelson said: 'Lord Mandelson very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein. This connection has been a matter of public record for some time. He never had any kind of professional or business relationship with Epstein in any form.' It is understood Mandelson has no recollection of staying in Epstein's New York house in 2009.
Mandelson was reportedly introduced to Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for assisting Epstein in sex trafficking. The JP Morgan report also raises questions about Prince Andrew's claim to have ended ties with Epstein in December 2010, as an email from February 2011 shows Epstein asking for the duke's London schedule.
The Duke of York last year settled a sexual assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre, who was introduced to him through Epstein and Maxwell. Epstein died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Mandelson has given informal advice to the current Labour leadership, with a party spokesperson confirming Keir Starmer talks to former Labour figures including Mandelson.
