Britain’s former US envoy Mandelson declines to apologise to victims over Epstein ties
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Former British ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson was fired over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Mr Peter Mandelson refused to apologise to victims of Jeffrey Epstein over his ties to the disgraced paedophile financier, in his first television interview since being fired as Britain’s ambassador to the US.
In a BBC interview on Jan 11, the former Labour grandee said he was not “knowledgeable” of what Epstein “was doing”.
“If I had known, if I was in any way complicit or culpable, of course I would apologise for it, but I was not culpable,” Mr Mandelson told the broadcaster.
The politician lost his job over his relationship with Epstein after Bloomberg News published a trove of e-mails in September, showing the extent of his bond with the late financier.
“The e-mails that were published came as a huge surprise and a huge shock to me,” Mr Mandelson said.
“I still don’t actually recall the circumstances or the thought processes that led me to send them.”
Mr Mandelson said he understands why British Prime Minister Keir Starmer removed him from his role, adding that he will not be going back into a public office. BLOOMBERG
