Jeffrey Epstein sent £10,000 to Peter Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice.
The Labour peer was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to Washington last year after documents emerged that shed light on his relationship with the late convicted sex offender.
On Friday, the United States Department of Justice released more than three million documents connected to the Epstein case, where the apparent payments were revealed.
In September 2009, the paedophile financier reportedly sent thousands to Mr da Silva to cover osteopathy course fees.
At the time of the payment, Lord Mandelson was serving as business secretary and de facto deputy prime minister under Gordon Brown.
Epstein had been released from prison just two months earlier, having served 13 months of an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
On September 7, 2009, Mr da Silva emailed Epstein referencing previous messages about his osteopathy course expenses, including fees, anatomical models and a laptop.
He wrote: “I just managed to speak to the fees office at the osteo school and confirmed that my annual fee is of £3,225.”
Jeffrey Epstein sent £10,000 to Peter Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva
|
GETTY
After providing bank transfer details, da Silva thanked Epstein for “anything you can help me with”.
Epstein responded hours later: “I will wire your loan amount immediated’y (sic).”
The following day, da Silva sought clarification about whether the £10,000 included his school fees or if that sum would be sent directly to the institution.
Epstein replied: “includedd (sic).”
The DoJ released three million documents connected to the Epstein case
|
GETTY
On September 17, Mr da Silva messaged again: “Just a brief note to thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning.”
The documents reveal further payments followed in April 2010, when Mr da Silva shared his bank details with Epstein once more.
Epstein forwarded the message to his accountant with the instruction: “Send 13k dollars.”
Subsequent correspondence shows Epstein directing his accountant to “send 2k per month to reinaldo”, before revising this to “after rethinkoing (sic) send 4000 dollars only”.
In one exchange released by the DoJ, Epstein forwarded Lord Mandelson a discussion about da Silva’s course fees, prompting a reply from a redacted sender three minutes later asking: “So what’s my share of the bounty, then?”
Epstein responded: “Was that a misspell for booty.”
A September 2010 email shows Mandelson joking about the payments, writing: “Have you permanently stopped the Reinaldo sub?! I may have to put him out to work on the streets.”
In September last year, a source close to Lord Mandelson described the allegation payments had been made as “inconceivable”, adding there had been “no relationship” between da Silva and Epstein and the pair had not liked each other, according to the Financial Times.
Lord Mandelson was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to Washington last year over his relationship with Epstein
|
GETTY
However, being mentioned in the Epstein files is not an indication of wrongdoing.
Lord Mandelson was appointed UK ambassador to the US in December 2024, but was dismissed by Sir Keir Starmer less than a year later when historic emails emerged revealing he had called Epstein his “best pal” in a 50th birthday tribute book.
Responding to the revelations, Lord Mandelson said in a statement: “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.”
Downing Street said the new information revealed the “depth and extent” of the relationship was “materially different” to what Mandelson had disclosed.
GB News has requested a response from Lord Mandelson regarding the latest files released.
