Former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was arrested in London on suspicion of misconduct in public office after new disclosures surfaced about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, authorities said Monday.
Mandelson, 72, was fired from the most prestigious posting in Britain's diplomatic service in September, when the depth of his friendship with Epstein started to become clear.
Police earlier this month began a criminal investigation into Mandelson after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government passed on communications between the former ambassador and Epstein.
"Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement relating to an investigation into a former government minister.
Emails between Mandelson and Epstein, released by the U.S. Department of Justice in late January, showed the two men had a closer relationship than had been publicly known, and Mandelson had shared information with the disgraced financier when he was a minister in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government.
Mandelson, who this month resigned from Starmer's Labour Party and quit his position in parliament's upper chamber, has previously said he "very deeply" regretted his past association with Epstein. But he has not commented publicly or responded to messages seeking comment on the latest revelations.
Last week, King Charles' younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was also arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Epstein. He has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein but a trove of files, including photos, show him playing with babies with disturbing toys.
