The police investigation into whether Lord Mandelson shared confidential Government information with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is reportedly at risk of collapse. Scotland Yard is said to believe it is unlikely the Department of Justice in the US will release the unredacted Epstein files. British police reportedly believe this may be needed to charge the former British ambassador to the US with misconduct in public office.
Request for files unanswered
The Telegraph reported on Friday that neither the DoJ nor the FBI responded to a Met Police request for the files. Scotland Yard escalated the request via an official legal assistance process, but this could take years, according to the same publication.
It is reported that the deadlock resulted partly because the US administration is reluctant to share files which may damage Donald Trump’s reputation. The unredacted files are thought to be crucial for any prosecution because Lord Mandelson’s legal team may argue partially redacted emails published online by the DoJ lack context and fail to tell the whole story.
Investigation could be dropped
This raises questions as to whether the investigation now faces being dropped altogether. A DoJ spokesman told the Telegraph: "The department of justice has not refused to assist any jurisdiction investigating potential criminal conduct related to Jeffrey Epstein.
"Both US and UK authorities follow established and legally required procedures for sharing information and evidence, and those processes ensure that any co-operation adheres to applicable laws that govern international evidence sharing and protects the integrity of ongoing matters."
He added that the DoJ remains committed to co-operating with all jurisdictions pursuing potential crimes and will continue to do so in accordance with federal law and longstanding practice. Lord Mandelson's legal team said in February that his overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation as he has done and to clear his name.
