Documents released by the US Congress include a 2003 “birthday book” for Jeffrey Epstein that contains a handwritten tribute from Peter Mandelson in which the British diplomat described Epstein as “my best pal,” and several photographs that show Mandelson in informal settings with Epstein and others.
The booklet, compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday by Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted of recruiting young women and girls for Epstein and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, runs to multiple pages of messages, photographs and mementos. Mandelson’s contribution, according to the released images and text, is a multi-page entry that praises Epstein with phrases such as “mysterious” and “an intelligent, sharp-witted man,” and includes the lines “You would spend many hours just waiting for him to turn up” and “Happy birthday, Jeffrey. We love you!”
The published pages also include several photographs attributed to contributions in the book. One image shows Mandelson in a bathrobe smiling while appearing to converse with Epstein; another shows a man believed to be Mandelson standing near a young woman wearing a white vest and dark underwear. The materials were released amid a broader Congressional review of documents related to Epstein’s circle.
Mandelson, a former Labour cabinet minister and European Commissioner, has served since 2024 as the British ambassador to Washington. He has previously faced political controversy in Britain related to loans and relationships with wealthy associates; those episodes were noted in commentary accompanying the documents. When questions previously arose about his association with Epstein, Mandelson told reporters he wished he had “never met him in the first place,” and declined to say whether he had stayed in Epstein’s apartment while Epstein was in custody.
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges; he died in a New York jail cell that August in what authorities ruled an apparent suicide. Epstein had previously pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to state charges of procuring for prostitution and served part of an 18-month sentence. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges related to recruiting and grooming girls for Epstein and was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The birthday book also contains other contributions. Among them is a printed silhouette of a female figure bearing a letter with the name of Donald Trump; Trump’s representatives have denied the authenticity of that item. The release of the booklet and related material has prompted renewed attention to the social and political networks that surrounded Epstein prior to his 2019 arrest.
The material was published in the context of news coverage and commentary, including a column in the Daily Mail that criticized Mandelson’s association with Epstein and described the relationship in strong terms. The column framed the disclosures as raising questions about judgment and propriety and noted Mandelson’s long career in British politics and recent diplomatic role.
The documents do not present evidence that Mandelson was involved in criminal conduct, and there is no public allegation in the released material that Epstein arranged sexual encounters for Mandelson. The records do show, however, a degree of familiarity and warmth in the messages and images contributed to the birthday book.
British and US authorities have previously investigated aspects of Epstein’s activities and associations. Individuals named or depicted in the released book have varied in their responses: some have denied or downplayed the significance of the materials, while others have not publicly commented. Mandelson has not provided a public, detailed timeline of his interactions with Epstein beyond the brief statements reported earlier.
The release of the birthday book pages has added to ongoing public scrutiny of Epstein’s network and the people who associated with him. It has also prompted renewed reporting on how prominent figures engaged socially with Epstein prior to the criminal investigations that culminated in his 2019 arrest and Maxwell’s later conviction.
Mandelson’s known public statements on the matter have been limited. A full comment from the British embassy in Washington was not included in the documents released by Congress.