Epstein sent £10,000 to Mandelson’s husband after his release from prison, files reveal

Mandelson apologised ‘unequivocally’ to the victims of the paedophile financier after the release of new documents

Jeffrey Epstein sent £10,000 to Lord Mandelson’s husband just two months after his release from prison, according to a tranche of newly released documents.

An exchange of emails published by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) reveal that Mandelson’s husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva asked Epstein for money to fund an osteopathy course and other related expenses in September 2009.

Epstein was serving an 18-month prison sentence from 2008 until July 2009 after pleading guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution.

The email was among three million documents relating to the convicted sex offender released by the DOJ on Friday.

Following the request for money, Epstein replied: “I will wire your loan amount immediated’y [sic].”

A few days later Mr da Silva replied “thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning”, according to the files.

Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein sent £10,000 to Lord Mandelson’s husband (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Lord Mandelson, who married Mr da Silva in 2023 after a relationship going back three decades, was business secretary and deputy prime minister to Gordon Brown at the time of the alleged payments. He was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US by Sir Keir Starmer when details of his relationship with Epstein emerged in September.

The emails also show Mr da Silva messaged Epstein again in April 2010 to share his bank details.

Epstein asked his accountant to send Mr da Silva “13k dollars”, and later asked them to send “2k per month to reinaldo”, the emails show.

He later replies that “after rethinkoing [sic] send 4000 dollars only”.

In September last year, a source close to Lord Mandelson said the claim that any payments had been made was “inconceivable”.

Files relating to Epstein were released on Friday (AP)

The emails have raised further questions about the friendship between Epstein and the UK’s former ambassador to Washington.

Lord Mandelson apologised “unequivocally” to the victims of Epstein for remaining friends with the paedophile financier after his conviction in a statement on Friday evening.

He insisted he was ignorant of Epstein’s crimes and “learned the actual truth about him after his death.”

Lord Mandelson said: “I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered.

“I was never culpable or complicit in his crimes. Like everyone else, I learned the actual truth about him after his death. But his victims did know what he was doing. Their voices were not heard and I am sorry I was amongst those who believed him over them.”

In his first major broadcast interview since his sacking from government, Lord Mandelson told the BBC earlier this month that he was “on the fringes” of Epstein’s life.

But emails released in the previous tranche of Epstein files showed Lord Mandelson told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

He is also reported to have told Epstein, “I think the world of you,” the day before the disgraced financier began his jail sentence.