When the latest batch of the ‘Epstein files’ were released by the US government on Friday, Labour grandee Peter Mandelson faced a lot of awkward questions.
There was the picture of him in his underwear, reportedly in Jeffrey Epstein’s Paris flat.
Then there was a series of payments apparently made from the paedophile financier’s account to Mandelson and his husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva – some of which the Labour peer says he has no knowledge of.
But as journalists dug deeper into the mountain of emails exchanged by the two men over several years, even more sinister allegations emerged.
Some messages appeared to show then-business secretary Mandelson passing Epstein sensitive information about government discussions at the height of the financial crash.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed yesterday they have received ‘a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office’ since the files were released, though they did not identify Lord Mandelson as a target.
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And this afternoon, Downing Street confirmed the Cabinet Office had referred material to the police after an initial review suggested ‘safeguards were compromised’.
Misconduct in a public office – or MIPO – is a very serious offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Bearing in mind that the police are only at the stage of reviewing reports and have not launched an investigation, is there any precedent for such a case?
Top British politicians have been accused of the offence before – in fact, independent MP Dan Norris is being investigated for alleged misconduct in public office at the moment along with a number of sex offences, all of which he ‘vigorously and entirely’ denies.
Perhaps the most significant figure to fend off accusations was Boris Johnson, who faced a private prosecution over alleged MIPO in 2019.
The case, which revolved around claims made by Johnson during the 2016 Brexit referendum, was ultimately thrown out by the High Court.
It’s believed that no current or former MP, nor any current or former peer in the House of Lords, has been convicted of misconduct in public office.
And despite the maximum sentence, there is no known case of anyone in the UK being given life in prison after being convicted of the offence.
One of the longest sentences was handed to ex-Met Police officer Muhammed Mustafa Darr, who got 40 months after he pleaded guilty to three counts of MIPO in 2024.
However, it is not unprecedented for current or former MPs – or even government ministers – to end up in prison.
Jonathan Aitken, who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury under John Major in the nineties, served seven months of an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty to perjury and perverting the course of justice.
Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne, the first energy secretary in David Cameron’s coalition government, spent 62 days in prison after he also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
Lord Mandelson has not responded to the latest allegations, but in an interview with the Times he admitted to a ‘lapse in judgment’ over funding sent by Epstein to his husband Reinaldo for an osteopathy course.
He said: ‘In retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgment for Reinaldo to accept this offer. At the time it was not a consequential decision.’
Metro has contacted a representative of Lord Mandelson for comment.
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