Jeffrey Epstein transferred thousands of pounds to Reinaldo Avila da Silva, the husband of former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson, following his release from prison in 2009, according to emails published by the US Department of Justice.
The correspondence, released on Friday, shows da Silva asked Epstein to fund an osteopathy course and other expenses in September 2009. Epstein responded that he would wire the loan amount, and da Silva confirmed receipt of the money. Mandelson himself emailed Epstein, reminding him to structure the payment as a loan to avoid gift-tax filing.
The documents also reveal ongoing financial support, with Epstein instructing his accountant to send $13,000 in April 2010 and later $2,000 per month to da Silva. Mandelson and Epstein were in frequent contact, with Epstein once mentioning he spent an hour with da Silva while still serving his sentence.
Mandelson, who was business secretary at the time and married da Silva in 2023, apologised on Friday, saying he was wrong to continue his association with Epstein after his conviction. He stated he was never culpable in Epstein's crimes but regretted believing him over his victims.
