Peter Mandelson was released on bail early Tuesday morning after being arrested on Monday for his role in a misconduct inquiry and alleged ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson was previously the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States but was relieved of his duties by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September after the public revelation of a series of emails between Mandelson and Epstein. 

“A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement shortly after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

Mandelson had a long career in British politics before being terminated by Starmer in 2025. Starting in 1985, he was the Labour Party’s communications director until 1990. He was a former Member of Parliament from 1992 to 2004. He also previously served as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the European Commissioner for Britain, and other Cabinet positions. He also served as a lobbyist for several years, was involved in multiple scandals before the Epstein connections were revealed, and was also known as the “Prince of Darkness” in British political circles.

Earlier in February, Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords after his name again resurfaced when the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of files related to the Epstein case. Police launched a criminal investigation and searched two of his houses in the United Kingdom, the Associated Press reported. 

FORMER UK AMBASSADOR TO US PETER MANDELSON ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED MISCONDUCT RELATED TO EPSTEIN

Police were investigation Mandelson for a variety of reasons, including allegedly revealing classified information about government tax plans, government asset sales, and government plans to bail out the European Union, the Washington Examiner previously reported. He is currently not under investigation for any allegations of sexual misconduct. 

Mandelson’s arrest came four days after the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, for his connections to Epstein. He was held in police custody for just 11 hours before being released without any charges being filed against him.