UK will publish files about the appointment of Epstein friend Mandelson to ambassador post

LONDON (AP) — The British government said it would publish files related to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. on Wednesday, as police investigate potential misconduct stemming from the ex-diplomat’s ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

Lawmakers have forced Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to disclose thousands of files about the decision to name Mandelson to the key diplomatic post at the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, despite a past friendship with the convicted sex offender.

The government has said the files will show that Mandelson misled officials about the extent of the relationship.

Mandelson, 72, a former Cabinet minister, ambassador and elder statesman of the governing Labour Party, was arrested Feb. 23 at his London home on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has been released without bail conditions as the police investigation continues.

He has previously denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

Cabinet minister Darren Jones said the “first tranche of documents” will be published Wednesday afternoon.

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The documents are being published in batches after review by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. Police have asked the government not to release files that could compromise their criminal investigation into Mandelson.

Starmer fired Mandelson in September after earlier revelations about his Epstein ties, but is facing a political storm over his decision to give him the Washington job in the first place.

Documents in a huge trove of Epstein files published by the U.S. Department of Justice in late January suggested that Mandelson sent market-sensitive information to the convicted sex offender when he was the U.K. government’s business secretary after the 2008 financial crisis.

That includes an internal government report discussing ways the U.K. could raise money, including by selling off government assets. Mandelson also appears to have told Epstein he would lobby other members of the government to reduce a tax on bankers’ bonuses.