LONDON — Peter Mandelson, a former British cabinet minister and longtime Labour powerbroker, resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party Monday after British media reports, citing newly released U.S. Department of Justice files, said accounts linked to him received $75,000 from the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Peter Mandelson said he believed the allegations were false and quit to avoid causing Labour “further embarrassment” as he reviews the records, Feb. 2, 2026.
Mandelson’s letter, shared with British media, landed days after the Justice Department said it had published more than 3 million additional pages of Epstein-related material — including videos and images — to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to a Justice Department press release. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor and died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Labour said it is reviewing the latest disclosures under party procedures, and a junior education minister told Times Radio it was “right” Mandelson was no longer a party member, according to a Reuters report. Peter Mandelson remains on leave of absence from the House of Lords, where he sits as a Labour peer.
What the DOJ filings allege about Peter Mandelson
Reports citing the newly released documents have centered on alleged payments totaling $75,000 — described as three $25,000 transfers — tied to accounts naming Peter Mandelson as a beneficiary, details summarized in coverage by The Guardian. Mandelson has denied knowledge of any such payments and said he would investigate how his name became linked to the transfers.
The Justice Department has cautioned that the material was compiled across multiple investigations and prosecutions, and that some content has been withheld or redacted, including to protect victims’ identities. The underlying records are being published in an online repository, the Justice Department’s Epstein library.
How Peter Mandelson’s Epstein ties resurfaced
Peter Mandelson’s association with Epstein has been under periodic scrutiny for years. A 2023 report described a 2019 internal JPMorgan review filed in New York court records that said Epstein appeared to maintain close relationships with prominent figures, including Mandelson, even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
Those questions intensified in 2025, when Starmer removed Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States after a trove of emails and letters revealed him praising Epstein and urging him to seek early release, according to an earlier Reuters account. New disclosures have also revived debate over whether Epstein sought policy influence: Sky News reported that released emails show Mandelson discussing bankers’ bonus policy after Epstein had paid money requested by Mandelson’s husband.
What happens next
Peter Mandelson’s resignation from Labour does not resolve the questions raised by the DOJ disclosures, and calls have grown for fuller testimony about what Epstein sought from his high-profile contacts. Mandelson has not been charged with a crime, and he has said he regrets his association with Epstein and is investigating the latest claims.
For Labour, the episode is the latest test of its ethics posture under Starmer, as critics argue the party must explain how it handled warnings about Peter Mandelson’s ties and what steps it is taking to address any unanswered questions raised by the files.
