Jeffrey Epstein was all the time a difficulty for Peter Mandelson.
Properly earlier than the revelations of this week, the Epstein cloud hung over him and he knew it.
Again in Could, Sky Information was supplied an opportunity to talk to him.
He’d simply completed a speech at an occasion in Washington and his communications staff had steered that if we needed a while with him then he’d be accessible briefly as he left the occasion.
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My colleague James Matthews waited outdoors the occasion for him to emerge.
When he did, James requested him concerning the speech and the prospects of a commerce deal. He then asked about Epstein.
“I am not answering any questions on him,” he stated.
“My information of him is one thing that I remorse. I want I might by no means met him within the first place.”
“Why did you may have an affiliation with him?” he was requested.
“Why did many individuals meet him? He was a prolific networker and I want I by no means met him within the first place,” Mandelson stated.
We now know that for him to outline his Epstein hyperlinks as ”my information of him” was an enormous misrepresentation of the reality.
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After the interview, James and I each acquired offended messages from the embassy staff. I’ve since learnt that the ambassador was very sad with the trade.
One supply advised me on the time: “He was livid and also you guys are within the deep freeze.”
Notably, Sky was not invited to briefings with the embassy for just a few months, and engagement with the embassy was more difficult.
We weren’t alone. In February, as he ready to change into the brand new ambassador, the Monetary Occasions requested Mandelson about his relationship with Epstein.
“I remorse ever assembly him or being launched to him by his companion Ghislaine Maxwell,” he advised the paper.
“I remorse much more the damage he triggered to many younger girls. I am not going to enter this. It is an FT obsession and admittedly you possibly can all f*ck off. OK?”
The Prince of Darkness could not spin his manner out of this.
