He later apologised to Epstein’s victims, saying he had believed Mandelson’s assurances that the relationship was minimal. Mandelson maintained a close relationship with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, exchanged personal messages, received payments totalling $75,000, and may have shared sensitive government information following the global financial crisis. France faced a parallel challenge — not only from genuine disclosures, but from what officials said was a coordinated disinformation campaign. French officials stressed that Macron did not appear in any authentic Epstein files, calling the allegations “entirely false”. The documents suggested Juul and her husband, diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, visited Epstein’s private island with their children, who were named as beneficiaries in a version of Epstein’s will.

Source: The Telegraph February 06, 2026 17:50 UTC