Mandelson offered to help Epstein get Russian visa, documents suggest

LONDON – Newly unsealed court documents reveal that Lord Peter Mandelson, a towering figure in British politics and a former EU trade commissioner, offered to assist the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in obtaining a Russian visa in 2009. The communications, part of a massive trove of documents from a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, place another high-profile individual in close proximity to Epstein's operations, years after his initial sex-crime conviction.

The emails not only detail Lord Mandelson's offer to intervene with the Russian ambassador on Epstein's behalf but are also intertwined with disturbing messages between Epstein and his staff referencing a "very sweet girl, just from Moscow." The revelations raise fresh questions about the nature of Epstein's powerful global network and the access he maintained even after becoming a registered sex offender.

A spokesperson for Lord Mandelson stated he was unaware of Epstein's "disgusting crimes" and that his interaction was a minor and informal gesture.

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The Visa Offer and Moscow Trip

The core of the new evidence is an email exchange from April 2009. At the time, Lord Mandelson was serving as the UK's Business Secretary under Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a position of significant influence.

The documents, filed in a New York court, show Epstein was planning a trip to Moscow. Lord Mandelson, who had extensive international contacts from his time as European Trade Commissioner, offered to smooth the way.

• The Offer: In an email to Epstein, Lord Mandelson wrote that he would be seeing the Russian ambassador. He offered to "put in a word" on Epstein's behalf regarding his visa application.

• Context of the Time: This communication occurred approximately eight months after Epstein had completed a 13-month jail sentence in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor. His status as a convicted sex offender was a matter of public record.

• Epstein's Network: The exchange is a stark example of how Epstein continued to leverage his relationships with powerful political and business figures to facilitate his international travel and business dealings, despite his criminal record.

Disturbing Communications

The context surrounding the proposed Moscow trip is made more troubling by other communications unsealed in the same document tranche. An email sent to Epstein from his assistant, Lesley Groff, directly references a young woman from Moscow in language that aligns with testimony from victims about how Epstein's network operated.

The message, which appears to be a follow-up to a previous conversation, states:

"I know you didn't like photo of [redacted] 22, however if you change your mind let me know, she is a very very nice and sweet girl, just from Moscow. I'm 90 percent sure she will be interested."

While there is no suggestion Lord Mandelson was aware of this specific communication, its direct reference to Moscow in the same period as the visa discussions paints a grim picture of the potential purpose of Epstein's trip.

• Transactional Language: The email's tone is overtly transactional, discussing a 22-year-old woman in terms of her photograph, age, and potential "interest." This language is consistent with allegations that Epstein and his associates scouted and procured young women for his abuse.

• Pattern of Behaviour: The reference to a specific city—"just from Moscow"—highlights the global nature of Epstein's sex trafficking operation, which prosecutors allege spanned his properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as international locations.

The JPMorgan Lawsuit

These documents have emerged from a high-stakes lawsuit brought against JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States. The bank is being sued by the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), where Epstein owned a private island, and by one of his victims.

The lawsuits allege that JPMorgan, which served as Epstein's primary banker for 15 years, knowingly benefited from and facilitated his sex trafficking ring by providing the financial architecture that kept it running.

• Plaintiff's Argument: The USVI government argues that JPMorgan ignored numerous red flags, including large, repeated cash withdrawals and payments to young women with Eastern European surnames. The plaintiffs contend that evidence of Epstein's influential connections, like the Mandelson emails, shows how the financier used his power to operate with impunity—a fact the bank was allegedly aware of and enabled.

• JPMorgan's Defense: The bank has denied liability, arguing that it was not responsible for its client's horrific crimes. In its own court filings, JPMorgan has sought to shift blame to former executive Jes Staley, who maintained a close relationship with Epstein and who the bank claims concealed the true nature of the relationship.

• Key Figure: Lord Mandelson is a prominent figure from the "New Labour" era, serving in multiple cabinet roles under Prime Minister Tony Blair and later Gordon Brown. His career culminated in his appointment as European Commissioner for Trade, giving him one of the most powerful unelected positions in Brussels. His name adds significant weight to the list of global elites connected to Epstein.

Implications and Next Steps

Lord Mandelson's spokesperson has forcefully pushed back against any suggestion of impropriety, stating that his contact with Epstein was limited and that he "was not aware of the disgusting crimes Epstein was committing." The spokesperson emphasized that the offer to help with a visa was an informal one that was never acted upon.

However, the revelations underscore a central theme of the post-scandal reckoning: the network of enablers, both witting and unwitting, that allowed Epstein to continue his operations for so long. The fact that a senior UK government minister was willing to assist a convicted sex offender, even in a minor capacity, highlights the extraordinary access Epstein commanded.

• Ongoing Scrutiny: The unsealing of these documents guarantees further scrutiny of all individuals and institutions within Epstein's orbit. It places a renewed focus on the judgment of powerful figures who maintained ties with him after his 2008 conviction.

• Legal Ramifications: For JPMorgan, the documents add to the mountain of evidence plaintiffs will use to argue the bank was inextricably linked to Epstein's entire operation, not just his legitimate finances. The trial is expected to expose further details about the inner workings of Epstein's global network.

As the legal battle against JPMorgan proceeds, more such revelations are anticipated, continuing to peel back the layers of influence and access that protected Jeffrey Epstein for decades.