Mandelson faces scrutiny over Epstein funded flights, documents show
Labour peer allegedly did not declare two Epstein-paid flights in 2003, worth about £5,555, according to US House Oversight Committee records obtained by the Financial Times
A Labour peer is facing renewed scrutiny after documents released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee show two flights funded by Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 were not disclosed in the House of Commons register of interests. The flights, valued at about £5,555, were paid for by Epstein, the disgraced financier described as a convicted paedophile.
The trips occurred on April 4, 2003, and April 11, 2003, with costs listed as $3,844.90 and $3,642.06 respectively, for a combined value around £5,555 depending on the exchange rate at the time. The register of interests requirement in 2003 obliged officials to declare visits abroad that cost more than £564.
Sir Alistair Graham, who chaired the government’s standards body at the time, told the Financial Times there was a very strong case that Mandelson should have declared the trip if there was any hint of a connection to his political role. He said there can be no doubt about it if such a link existed.
The receipts appear in a cache of documents released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee and viewed by the Financial Times. The committee is examining Epstein’s network of associates. The material also highlights Mandelson’s broader ties to Epstein, which drew renewed scrutiny after a ten-page letter described Epstein as Mandelson’s best pal and a note in a birthday album compiled by Epstein’s former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Mandelson wrote about Epstein hosting friends at his properties.
The letter included praise for Epstein and references to his private island and luxury homes, raising questions about the depth of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein while Mandelson held prominent political posts. Mandelson has not publicly commented on the newly disclosed material.
The disclosures come as Mandelson was removed from his post as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last week after emails surfaced showing the depth of his relationship with Epstein. Keir Starmer, who appointed Mandelson to the Washington posting, said the emails indicated a relationship that differed materially from what was known at the time of appointment.
Foreign Office officials described the newly released emails as showing a depth and extent of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein that was different from what was publicly acknowledged when the appointment was announced.
The disclosures unfold as investigators examine Epstein’s circle and the influence of high-profile figures associated with him. The material published by the House Oversight Committee includes personal notes and messages that have intensified questions about the appropriateness of close ties between Mandelson and Epstein during Mandelson’s years in government and diplomacy.