Mandelson Recalls Being 'Entranced' at First Epstein Meeting in Rothschild Home
Peter Mandelson reminisced about being 'entranced' after his initial introduction to Jeffrey Epstein at the opulent holiday residence of a wealthy British-American businesswoman, according to newly surfaced documents. The records appear to show the disgraced former Labour minister discussing the first encounter at the summer home of Lynn Forester de Rothschild on Martha's Vineyard, an exclusive island enclave for the super-rich in New England.
Extended Government Probe into Epstein Ties
This revelation emerges as officials investigating Lord Mandelson's connections to the late convicted paedophile have been instructed to broaden their inquiry to encompass his time in government, tracing back to 1999 when he served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The expanded probe will also cover his tenure as business secretary and de facto deputy prime minister under Gordon Brown from 2008 to 2010.
Email correspondence suggests Lord Mandelson was acquainted with Epstein from approximately 1999 or 2000. Previously released documents from the US House of Representatives indicate that Epstein covered travel expenses for Mandelson as far back as 2003, during a period when Mandelson was on the backbenches as MP for Hartlepool.
Police Investigation and Email Exchanges
The peer, who vehemently denies any misconduct, is currently under police investigation for allegations that he passed market-sensitive information to Epstein during the 2000s. While material from two decades ago is unlikely to be made public, it could be handed over to Scotland Yard detectives by civil servants, as reported by the Times.
In a 2013 email exchange with Epstein's secretary Lesley Groff, published by the US Justice Department, Mandelson references a photograph he received and inquires about its location. Ms Groff responds that it might have been taken on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands and mentions she has asked the paedophile if he recalls the image.
Mandelson then replied: 'I think it was Martha's the first time I met Jeffrey, staying with Lynn Forester.' This exchange occurred years after Epstein had served 13 months of an 18-month prison sentence in the United States for procuring an underage girl for prostitution.
Key Figures and Further Connections
Lynn Forester de Rothschild is a prominent businesswoman and the widow of financier Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, who was among Britain's wealthiest individuals prior to his death in 2022. She is also believed to have introduced Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, to Epstein during the 1990s.
In an earlier email from August 2010, Epstein sent Lord Mandelson a picture titled 'the good old days'. The disgraced ex-Labour minister responded: 'The first time we met and I was entranced...'
Contradictory Statements and Planned Meetings
Meanwhile, a separate email from March 2011 indicates that Lord Mandelson first met Epstein around 1999 and was introduced by the paedophile's associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The email reveals that the chief executive of Lord Mandelson's firm, General Counsel, was preparing to inform the press that Mandelson barely knew Epstein. Ironically, this statement was shared with Epstein for approval before being disseminated.
The prepared quote stated: 'Lord Mandelson was introduced to Mr Epstein a decade before by his then partner Ghislaine Maxwell who, along with her father and other members of her family, Lord Mandelson had known for many years before.' This response was crafted to address reports that Epstein had sought court permission to be released from house arrest to meet an unnamed British Government Minister.
Although the court granted Epstein permission to meet his lawyer, it denied the request for a meeting with the Minister. Emails suggest Lord Mandelson and Epstein nonetheless planned to convene, but had to cancel due to Mandelson being 'grounded' by a mini-Budget. This enabled Lord Mandelson to assert to the press that the pair had not met, despite Epstein's prior application to the courts specifically to facilitate such a meeting.
