Donald Trump’s Justice Department is obstructing Scotland Yard’s criminal investigation into Lord Mandelson by refusing to hand over key evidence from the Epstein files, The Telegraph has reported, in a development that could delay any charging decision until as late as 2028.
US officials have declined to release redacted material relating to the former business secretary and ex-US ambassador without first receiving a formal Mutual Legal Assistance request from British authorities — a legal process that typically takes a minimum of 18 months to complete. The refusal has persisted despite personal lobbying efforts by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who approached Warren Stephens, the US ambassador to the United Kingdom, earlier this year and travelled to Washington in March to press officials directly to release the relevant material voluntarily. Both efforts failed.
Scotland Yard opened a criminal investigation into Mandelson in January after documents published by the US Justice Department suggested he had passed sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as business secretary in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet. Among the material he is alleged to have disclosed to the convicted paedophile and financier were plans for a multibillion-pound EU bailout, details surrounding Gordon Brown’s resignation, and information about the potential sale of government land and property.
Mandelson was arrested at his home in Regent’s Park on 23 February and questioned for approximately nine hours before being released on bail. He denies any wrongdoing.
The investigation faces a significant structural obstacle beyond the MLA process. British prosecutors require original documents rather than copies to bring charges — meaning that even publicly available versions of the Epstein files cannot be used as the basis for prosecution. A further substantial tranche of material remains under redaction in the United States to protect ongoing American investigations, and it is not yet known whether any of it relates directly to Mandelson.
The Justice Department’s reluctance to accelerate the process sits within a broader political context. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN in February that after reviewing the files, investigators found nothing that would support criminal prosecutions of those named within them. Trump himself has repeatedly urged the public to move on from the scandal, telling reporters in early February that “it’s really time for the country to get on to something else.” The president was friends with Epstein for approximately 15 years, though he has maintained the friendship ended long before any criminal conduct came to light.
Melania Trump struck a different tone in an April address to Congress, urging legislators to reveal the identities of individuals whose names had been redacted from the files. “Epstein was not alone,” she said.
Mandelson is not the only prominent figure to have been arrested in the UK in connection with the files. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has also been detained and questioned by British police. He too denies any wrongdoing. Unlike their British counterparts, US authorities have not moved to arrest any of those named in the documents.
The Justice Department has been approached for comment.
