This Is A Developing Story

As Jim Pickard and Peter Foster masterfully understate:

Jeffrey Epstein sent thousands of pounds to Lord Peter Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, according to emails published by the US Department of Justice, raising fresh questions about the friendship between the disgraced financier and the former UK ambassador to Washington.

The emails published on Friday show da Silva emailing Epstein in September 2009, asking for £10,000 to fund an osteopathy course and other related expenses. “I will wire your loan amount immediated’y [sic],” Epstein replied that day.

A few days later, da Silva sent Epstein an email saying “thank you for the money which arrived in my account this morning”.

Mandelson married da Silva in 2023 after a relationship of three decades.

At the time of the first payments Mandelson was business secretary and de facto deputy prime minister to then UK prime minister Gordon Brown. Mandelson served in that role until May 2010.

Epstein was in prison from 2008 until July 2009 after pleading guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution.

In April 2010, da Silva messaged Epstein again, sharing his bank details, the emails show. Epstein forwarded the email to his accountant, adding: “send 13k dollars”.

In subsequent correspondence, Epstein instructs his accountant to “send 2k per month to reinaldo”. His accountant, Rich Kahn, asks if this is “in addition to the 13k” and to confirm the currency is US dollars. Epstein replies that “after rethinkoing [sic] send 4000 dollars only”.

The FT was first told about payments from Epstein to da Silva by an individual who claimed to have knowledge of the matter last year.

In September a person close to Mandelson described the allegation as “inconceivable”, adding there had been “no relationship” between da Silva and Epstein, and that the pair had not liked each other. The person denied that Mandelson had ever received money from Epstein, either directly or via his husband. 

At the time da Silva did not reply to an FT request for comment asking him whether — and if so why — he had accepted money from the convicted paedophile.

Starmer was forced to sack Mandelson from his most recent role as US ambassador in early September last year after revelations that he had called Epstein his “best pal” in a 50th birthday tribute book.

The emails released by the Justice Department reveal other aspects of the Mandelson-Epstein relationship, including the UK politician asking for advice on purchasing an apartment in Brazil.

In March 2011 he wrote to the financier about a scheme to minimise tax, involving setting up an offshore company in Panama which would partner with a new Brazilian company managed by da Silva.