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Police in the United Kingdom have opened a criminal investigation into the country's former ambassador to Washington. It's over allegations he leaked sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein. NPR's Lauren Frayer reports from London.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: This is the line Peter Mandelson is famous for.
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PETER MANDELSON: I am a fighter and not a quitter.
FRAYER: After a political comeback 25 years ago. He's been an MP, a cabinet minister, envoy to the U.S., a post he resigned from last year over his friendship with the late sex offender Epstein. Now Mandelson has also quit the House of Lords over the latest Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department.
DAN NEIDLE: What we found was extraordinary.
FRAYER: Tax attorney and think tank founder Dan Neidle sifted through the latest trove. Photos of Mandelson in his underwear, alleged payments Epstein made to Mandelson and his husband and emails from when Mandelson was a cabinet secretary after the 2008 financial crisis.
NEIDLE: Peter Mandelson was forwarding sensitive government emails to Epstein, not just sensitive U.K. government emails. He was leaking U.K. and U.S. government secrets, essentially, to Wall Street.
FRAYER: Police are investigating whether that was criminal. Mandelson did not answer NPR's calls and hasn't commented on the email allegations. He issued a statement saying he has no recollection of payments. But this episode raises questions about Prime Minister Keir Starmer's judgment in naming him ambassador just over a year ago.
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PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: Many people love him. Others love to hate him.
FRAYER: Starmer joked about Mandelson's reputation in a D.C. visit last year.
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STARMER: But to us, he's just Peter.
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FRAYER: Mandelson's former colleague in Parliament Harriet Harman told the BBC he and other elites have hurt public trust. This week, the king's brother - no longer prince, just Andrew - moved off Windsor Castle grounds, also in disgrace.
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HARRIET HARMAN: People will think all their prejudices about politicians have proved right.
FRAYER: Because of the revelations in these Epstein files.
Lauren Frayer, NPR News, London.
(SOUNDBITE OF SAXON SHORE'S "BE A BRIGHT BLUE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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