British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson after newly released emails revealed deeper ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than previously known.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday removed Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States following revelations of a closer relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The Foreign Office announced that “additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson” prompted the action. “The depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment,” the statement said.
According to the government, the emails also showed Mandelson questioned Epstein’s original conviction. “In particular, Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information. In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes, he has been withdrawn as Ambassador with immediate effect,” the statement added.
The dismissal coincided with U.S. Democratic lawmakers releasing filings from Epstein’s estate lawyers, including his “50th Birthday Book,” as part of a wider probe into Epstein’s connections with prominent figures and the handling of his criminal case.