Gay Former U.K. Ambassador to U.S. Arrested Over Epstein Ties
Peter Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid scrutiny over his past contact with Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Peter Mandelson, the former United Kingdom ambassador to the United States, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The former ambassador, 72, was dismissed from his position in September 2025 following reports that he had continued his friendship with accused sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on charges of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.
Mandelson stepped down from his seat in the House of Lords earlier this month after emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice appeared to show him sharing sensitive information with Epstein.
Police are investigating whether Mandelson passed confidential government information to Epstein while serving as a cabinet minister between 2008 and 2010, at the height of the global banking crisis. Emails released as part of the Epstein files appear to show Mandelson sharing an assessment of potential policy measures, discussing a planned tax on bankers’ bonuses, and confirming a bailout package for the euro prior to its official announcement.
Mandelson, who is openly gay, has not been accused of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, according to NPR.
Mandelson’s arrest followed the execution of search warrants earlier this month at two properties in Wiltshire and Camden. An official statement from London’s Metropolitan Police did not specifically mention his name — part of standard police protocol. However, TV footage showed the veteran Labour Party politician being led by plainclothes officers out of his home in Camden and into a car waiting outside.
The arrest coincided with government ministers providing an update on the release of files related to his appointment as U.S. ambassador. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced intense scrutiny over his decision to appoint Mandelson, despite his friendship with Epstein having been public knowledge prior to the appointment.
Starmer said earlier this month that Mandelson had “lied repeatedly” about the extent of his past contact with Epstein, leading to his dismissal, according to NBC News.
The arrest comes just days after a lobbying firm co-founded by Mandelson collapsed into bankruptcy amid the scandal surrounding his links to Epstein.
Mandelson began working for Britain’s Labour Party in the 1980s and became a major figure within the party, credited with helping former Prime Minister Tony Blair secure a landslide election victory in 1997. He was forced to resign from Blair’s cabinet twice — first over an undeclared bank loan and then for allegedly intervening to help a foreign businessman obtain a passport. He was later appointed business secretary by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who elevated him to the House of Lords in 2008.
Mandelson is not the only prominent figure to face scrutiny over connections to Epstein. Four days ago, police arrested the former Prince Andrew — now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The charge is related to his alleged conduct while serving as the United Kingdom’s special representative for international trade and investment.
Mountbatten-Windsor was later released “under investigation,” meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.
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