Report reveals Tony Blair met with Epstein while he was PM
(MENAFN) Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair met with Jeffrey Epstein at 10 Downing Street during his time in office, following lobbying efforts by Lord Peter Mandelson, according to a BBC report published on Friday.
The meeting reportedly took place on May 14, 2002, as noted in a memo written by senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft, which briefed Blair on Epstein, described as a “super-rich financial adviser,” ahead of their scheduled encounter — six years before Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
A spokesperson for Blair said the former leader “met with him for less than 30 minutes” and that their discussion focused solely on US and UK politics. The spokesperson added that Blair “never met or engaged with him subsequently”, emphasizing that the meeting occurred “long before his crimes were known of and his subsequent conviction.”
Emails obtained by the BBC reveal that Mandelson had urged Blair’s chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, to arrange the meeting, describing Epstein as “a friend of mine” and noting that former US President Bill Clinton wanted to introduce him to Blair.
In one email sent in May 2002, Mandelson portrayed Epstein as “an active scientific catalyst/entrepreneur,” calling him “young and vibrant” and “safe.” He also noted that Clinton was “now doing a lot of travelling with him.”
Rycroft’s briefing memo characterized Epstein as “a financial adviser to the super-rich and a property developer,” who was “a friend of Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson” and “very rich and close to the Duke of York.”
The revelations come amid continued scrutiny of Epstein’s extensive network of high-profile political and business figures prior to his death in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
