By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News | London | Friday, July 18, 2025
British political figure Lord Peter Mandelson has expressed deep regret over his past association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, telling reporters earlier this year, “I wish I’d never met him in the first place.”
The former UK business secretary made the remarks during an interview in May with Sky News correspondent James Matthews, amid longstanding questions over his interactions with Epstein, who died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Mandelson’s connection to Epstein resurfaced this week following a Wall Street Journal article that cited a letter allegedly sent by former U.S. President Donald Trump to Epstein. The report reignited global interest in the late billionaire’s powerful social circle.
In the 2019 disclosures tied to a JP Morgan internal review—filed in a New York court—Epstein was said to have hosted Lord Mandelson at his Manhattan residence. In one note to his private banker, dated June 17, 2009, Epstein wrote: “Peter will be staying at 71st over weekend…”
At the time, Mandelson was serving as business secretary under Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Labour government.
When asked by Matthews if he indeed stayed at Epstein’s apartment in June 2009, Lord Mandelson declined to answer directly. “I’m not answering any questions about him,” he said. “My knowledge of him is something I regret. I wish I’d never met him in the first place.”
Pressed on why he had any association with Epstein, Mandelson remarked: “Why did many people meet him? He was a prolific networker. And I wish I’d never met him in the first place.”
The comments were made during an exclusive exchange in Washington, where Mandelson currently serves as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, had long cultivated ties with high-profile figures in politics, finance, and academia. His network included former U.S. presidents, royalty, and international dignitaries. His 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor and his subsequent arrest in 2019 exposed years of alleged abuse and misconduct.
Although Mandelson has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing, his inclusion in court documents and banking records has kept his name linked to Epstein’s global web of influence.
The JP Morgan disclosures, which included hundreds of pages of correspondence and transaction data, revealed how Epstein used his banking relationships to facilitate travel, housing, and meetings for select guests.
In light of renewed scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s legacy—and new developments involving Trump’s legal team seeking to unseal grand jury documents—Mandelson’s name is once again under the microscope.
He remains in post as ambassador and has not issued further comment since the May interview.
