London, Feb. 24, 2026 — The Metropolitan Police confirmed Tuesday that a 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation.
While authorities did not formally identify the individual, the suspect has previously been named as former UK ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson.
Mandelson, 72, was taken into custody on Feb. 23 after being escorted from his Camden residence by plainclothes officers and transported to a London police station for questioning.
The arrest forms part of a widening investigation linked to newly released documents concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation.” Police reiterated that they are following standard UK practice in not naming suspects.
The investigation centers on allegations that sensitive UK government information may have been improperly shared with Epstein during Mandelson’s time in public office. Misconduct in public office is a serious criminal offense in the United Kingdom and carries a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Earlier this month, British authorities confirmed they had opened an inquiry into a former senior government minister. The Metropolitan Police subsequently executed search warrants at properties in Wiltshire and Camden, describing the probe as complex and ongoing.
The arrest follows the recent detention of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, widely known as Prince Andrew, by Thames Valley Police in a separate misconduct investigation tied to the release of more than three million pages of Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Department of Justice last month.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor, receiving an 18-month prison sentence. In July 2019, he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges and died by suicide the following month while awaiting trial.
Mandelson was dismissed from his ambassadorial post in September 2025 after emails emerged indicating he maintained contact with Epstein following the financier’s 2008 conviction.
The Foreign Office said at the time that the correspondence revealed a relationship “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.” Mandelson subsequently resigned as a lawmaker, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly apologized for appointing him.
Recently disclosed emails include a message sent by Mandelson after Epstein’s 2008 conviction stating, “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened.” Additional correspondence from 2009 reportedly included the forwarding of a message originally sent to the prime minister.
In interviews with British media outlets, Mandelson has denied wrongdoing. He told The Times of London that the released files do not “indicate wrongdoing or misdemeanor on my part.” In a separate interview with The Sun, he expressed regret over his association with Epstein, describing it as “an albatross around” his neck and stating that he deeply regrets maintaining contact for longer than he should have.
On Feb. 3, a Cabinet Office spokesperson confirmed that, following a review of newly released Epstein materials, authorities referred certain documents to police after identifying content containing “likely market-sensitive information” and evidence that official handling safeguards may have been compromised.
Prime Minister Starmer subsequently told Cabinet members that the alleged sharing of highly sensitive government information was “disgraceful” and said Mandelson had “let his country down.”
The investigation remains ongoing. It is not immediately clear whether Mandelson has retained legal representation.
