British police arrested Peter Mandelson, a former U.K. Ambassador to the United States, on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to a statement from London’s Metropolitan Police.
The 72-year-old was arrested at an address in north London and has been taken to a police station for questioning, the Metropolitan Police said. While the statement did not name the individual, he has been identified as Mandelson, a prominent figure in British politics.
The arrest stems from an investigation into claims that Mandelson passed sensitive government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2009, while serving as Business Secretary under then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Police are investigating whether this constituted a breach of public trust.
Mandelson’s tenure as ambassador, which lasted from February to September of last year, ended after his connections to Epstein surfaced in documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, known as the “Epstein files.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed him from the post following the revelations.
Prior to his ambassadorship, Mandelson was a key architect of the “New Labour” movement in the 1990s and held various ministerial positions under Prime Minister Tony Blair. Known for his political acumen, he earned the nickname “the Prince of Darkness” within British political circles. He was granted a life peerage in 2008, allowing him to serve in a ministerial capacity despite not being an elected official.
The charge of “misconduct in public office” carries significant weight, requiring prosecutors to demonstrate that Mandelson willfully abused his position and acted without reasonable justification. This is the same offense suspected in the case of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, who was arrested earlier this month in a separate investigation related to his association with Epstein.
Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing. According to the BBC, he is “convinced that he has not acted in any way criminally.”
The Metropolitan Police have not provided a timeline for the completion of their investigation.
