Bertie Ahern has said that he 'doesn't know what George Mitchell is being accused of' after files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation mentioned Mr Mitchell.
The United States Congress has released millions of files relating to the notorious paedophile and financier, revealing Epstein’s extensive links to political and business figures across the world.
One individual named in the files is the former US Senator, George Mitchell, who won plaudits for his work brokering the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Bertie Ahern with George Mitchell and Tony Blair at Castle Buildings Belfast, after they signed the Good Friday Agreement. Picture by: RollingNews.ie/Pool.A calendar notification in the files suggests Mr Mitchell maintained contact with Epstein following his conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
As a result, Queen’s University Belfast announced it was ending its long association with Mr Mitchell.
A bust of him has been removed from the university’s grounds and the US-Ireland Alliance has renamed the George J Mitchell Scholarship Program.
In a statement, Mr Mitchell said that he "profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women".
Bertie Ahern on George Mitchell
On Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Ahern defended the former Senator.
“I've looked at this as closely as I could the other day, because obviously I know George Mitchell very well,” he said.
“I don't see what he has done; there are a few emails which are unclear whether they were coming from him or they were coming from Epstein.
“So, that's not clear; I haven't been across five million documents, so I don't know what's in it.
“But all that I can say is that it looks as if Epstein met half the world and he was trying to interact with half the world.”
A photo board featuring Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability meeting in 2024. Picture by: Rod Lamkey/CNP/Sipa USA.Mr Ahern noted that there were far more extensive communications between Epstein and Putin.
“I don't see what George Mitchell is being accused of,” he added.
“As I understand it, George Mitchell's position is that he didn't have any contact after that date [when Epstein was convicted].
“That's what's an issue now; whether those last emails that were redacted were from George Mitchell or whether from Epstein - and that's not clear.
“So, I can't assume that George Mitchell had contact with him after 2008. If he did, he shouldn't have - but it's not clear.”
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With regards to Peter Mandelson, who Mr Ahern worked with during his time as Taoiseach, he was far more critical.
The files suggest Mr Mandelson leaked market sensitive information to Epstein while serving as Britain’s Business Secretary, something Mr Ahern described as “extraordinary”.
“Cabinet confidentiality giving away any information to third parties, giving any information outside of the jurisdiction, giving it to somebody with Epstein's record, I mean, it's almost unbelievable,” he said.
Mr Mandelson has resigned from the British House of Lords, while Keir Starmer has ordered he be removed from the Privy Council.
The Metropolitan Police has also launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office.
Peter Mandelson e in Dublin. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland.“Mandelson, to be at my most polite, was a tricky guy to deal with,” Mr Ahern added.
“You really have to check everything and double check everything [with him].
“I dealt with several Secretaries of State, most of them straightforward, most of them up front, most of them give you the line fairly straight.
“But I'm afraid Mandelson wasn't that kind of an individual.”
Main image: Bertie Ahern and George Mitchell. Picture by: Alamy.com.
