Mandelson blew out candles with Epstein AFTER tycoon was charged with sex offences
GRInnInG as a large cake is placed between them, the two middle-aged men appear not to have a care in the world.
But this image of Peter Mandelson celebrating with Jeffrey Epstein in Paris was taken just months after the paedophile financier was first charged with abusing girls.
Tony Blair’s former spin doctor can be seen with a glass of red wine in front of him in the photo taken at Epstein’s £10million apartment on the upmarket Avenue Foch. The image casts yet more light on Lord Mandelson’s relationship with the businessman, who
They called him ‘Petie’
killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
At the time, the former Labour MP – who was then working as the European Union’s Trade Commissioner – had enjoyed a friendship for several years with Epstein, who called him ‘Petie’.
They were introduced by mutual friend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was last month found guilty of trafficking girls as part of Epstein’s sordid sex ring.
The British socialite was also responsible for introducing Epstein to Prince Andrew.
Lord Mandelson, 68, visited Epstein’s private island, Little St James, and dined with various celebrities at his $77 million new York townhouse. The Daily Mail previously revealed a photograph taken in 2005 showing the pair conversing in a fashion boutique in the US Virgin Islands.
In March 2005, police in Florida launched an investigation into Epstein over claims that he had paid underage girls to perform sex acts.
In August 2006, he was charged with solicitation. The photo in Paris was taken just months after this, reported The Sun, though it is not suggested Lord Mandelson knew of Epstein’s crimes at the time.
Epstein eventually pleaded guilty to a charge of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor in 2008 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
In 2019, a source close to Lord Mandelson said he had met Epstein on ‘no more than five or six occasions’.
A TV documentary claimed that Lord Mandelson, who twice resigned as a Cabinet minister, phoned Epstein in 2009 to seek a personal favour.
Lord Mandelson, then de facto deputy prime minister to Gordon Brown, allegedly asked the former Wall Street trader – who was on day release from prison – to arrange a meeting with a billionaire new York banker.
Lawyers for Lord Mandelson said he had no recollection of the phone call. Lord Mandelson could not be reached for comment.