LONDON — Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, was removed from his post Thursday following revelations about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The U.K.’s minister of state for Europe, North America and overseas territories, Stephen Doughty, told the House of Commons that newly reviewed emails indicated Mandelson maintained a closer relationship with Epstein than was previously known.
One email cited in the announcement suggested Mandelson believed Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor in Florida “was wrongful and should be challenged.” Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Doughty said the correspondence demonstrated the “depth and extent” of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, prompting his immediate withdrawal from the ambassadorial role.
The decision followed the release of a U.S. House report containing a 2003 birthday book gifted to Epstein, which included a 10-page note from Mandelson and photographs of the two together. The book, compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, also featured notes from former Presidents Clinton and Trump, among others.
Mandelson had been a prominent figure in the U.K.’s engagement with the Trump administration, including efforts to secure a bilateral trade agreement amid U.S. tariff changes.
Officials did not provide details on a replacement ambassador.
