London’s Metropolitan Police have arrested former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson on suspicion of misconduct in public office, stemming from his documented ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports by Reuters and other outlets.
The 72-year-old Mandelson, who previously served as a key Labour figure and was removed from his ambassadorial post in September amid revelations about his Epstein connections, was detained on February 23 at a residence in Camden, north London. Officers took him to a London police station for questioning following an ongoing criminal investigation into a former government minister.
Police confirmed the arrest related to alleged misconduct in public office and stated that the suspect was later released on bail pending further inquiries. No immediate statement was issued by Mandelson’s legal team.
The investigation was triggered after the U.S. Department of Justice released emails in late January under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). This legislation, enacted by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, required full disclosure of Epstein-related documents by December 19, 2025. The released correspondence indicated a closer relationship between Mandelson and Epstein than previously acknowledged, including instances where Mandelson shared information with Epstein while serving as a minister in Gordon Brown’s government in 2009.
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Authorities searched Mandelson’s properties in London and Wiltshire earlier this month after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration referred relevant communications to investigators.
Mandelson, who resigned from the Labour Party and the House of Lords this month, has previously expressed profound regret over his association with Epstein but has not commented publicly on the arrest or the recent disclosures. His initial appointment as ambassador was regarded as a diplomatic advantage—he negotiated an early reduction in certain U.S. tariffs under the Trump administration—but it unraveled following evidence of misrepresented ties during vetting.
A conviction for misconduct in public office, a grave offense triable in Crown Court and potentially punishable by life imprisonment, would mark a significant escalation. The affair has already prompted resignations among senior officials and heightened scrutiny of Starmer’s appointment processes. It coincides with related allegations against Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor), who faced arrest days earlier on similar charges involving confidential documents shared with Epstein.
Mandelson, a central architect of Tony Blair’s New Labour in the 1990s, endured a volatile political path with two earlier cabinet resignations—in 1998 over an undisclosed loan and in 2001 amid passport influence allegations—before re-entering government under Brown and later under Starmer.
Parliamentary demands for vetting-related documents are set to intensify, with initial releases anticipated in early March.
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