Former UK ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed.
Mandelson, a senior Labour Party figure and former cabinet minister, is accused of sharing market-sensitive information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as UK business secretary, according to CNN.
In a statement, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, February 23, and has been taken to a London police station for interview.
“This follows the execution of search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”
The latest developments stem from a new release of documents related to Epstein. The disclosures prompted Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party earlier this month. He also stepped down from the House of Lords during the same period.
Mandelson had previously been dismissed from his post as ambassador to Washington in September by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, after earlier Epstein files revealed a handwritten note in which he referred to the financier as “my best pal” on his 50th birthday.
The controversy has intensified political pressure on Starmer, with the unfolding scandal leading to the resignation of several senior advisers and calls from some Labour figures for the prime minister to step down.
Starmer has faced scrutiny over what he knew about Mandelson’s association with Epstein at the time of appointing him ambassador.
