Overview
- Commander Ella Marriott said detectives have launched a misconduct in public office investigation into a 72-year-old former government minister, an offense that can carry a life sentence.
- The government assessed the U.S. documents as likely containing market‑sensitive material from the 2008 crisis era, referred its findings to the Met, and signaled cooperation while ministers prepare potential legislation to strip his peerage.
- The Speaker of the House of Lords said Mandelson will retire on February 4 after resigning from the Labour Party over the weekend, though he keeps his title unless Parliament changes the law.
- Newly released files reportedly include emails in which Mandelson forwarded an internal briefing to Epstein, suggested JP Morgan’s chief should ‘mildly threaten’ the chancellor over a bonus tax, and tipped a €500 billion eurozone bailout hours before it was announced.
- Bank records cited in the trove suggest Epstein sent $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner in 2003–2004 and £10,000 to his husband in 2009; Mandelson says he does not recall the payments and is reviewing authenticity, and Gordon Brown has provided information to police.