Peter Mandelson signed off as Hartlepool's MP and referenced the North East in a number of emails written to Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, recently released files show.
In total, the North East town is mentioned 22 times in the Epstein Files, many being from Mandelson's email signatures. He was the town's MP from 1992 to 2004.
Documents dating back to the early 2000s show that Mandelson was communicating with Epstein and Maxwell during his time in office, signing off as the 'Member of Parliament for Hartlepool'.
The files, made up of millions of documents, include emails, photos, videos and documents related to paedophile Epstein and associates and are being released in increments by the US Department of Justice.
Some notable names in the files include disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, X owner Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
One record comes from 2002, where Mandelson confessed to 'G. Max' (understood to be Ghislaine Maxwell), that he was feeling "so low", adding "missing you".
In another exchange, which appears to be with Maxwell on March 31, 2003, Mandelson says he would "quite like to be in NY" for some "chill out time...".
He then says he "needs to get to Hartlepool" for a trip to take his mother to dinner, adding "much love" and signed off as the town's MP.
A few weeks later, Mandelson has another exchange with Maxwell, saying "love Petey", again with his MP sign off.
Some years later, on March 12, 2010, in an email to Jeffrey Epstein, Mandelson told of being awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Hartlepool that day.
He wrote: "I am in north east - freeman of borough of Hartlepool - now going to north east..will call."
Mandelson was stripped on the Freedom of Hartlepool last year after details emerged over his close relationship with the paedophile financier.
The exchange came after Epstein was convicted of soliciting a child for prostitution two years prior.
Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to the US in September 2025, but anger in Westminster has intensified after the latest release of documents, which indicated he leaked information to his friend while he was a government minister.
Emails from 2009 appear to show Lord Mandelson passing on an assessment by Gordon Brown’s adviser of potential policy measures, including an “asset sales plan”.
He also appeared to discuss a tax on bankers’ bonuses and confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.
Mandelson has yet to speak publicly, but the BBC has said it understood he maintains he did not act criminally and that his actions were not for personal gain.
Mandelson who has quit the House of Lords, resigned from the Labour Party and has been removed from the Privy Council following the new revelations from the Epstein files
He is now under investigation by the police for alleged misconduct in public office.
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Several officers were seen entering the peer’s address near Regent’s Park, central London, and Scotland Yard said another warrant was also being carried out at a Wiltshire address on Friday (February 6) afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said its investigation into Lord Mandelson, 72, over alleged misconduct in public office would “take some time” after officers finished searching his homes in London and Wiltshire.
“This will be a complex investigation requiring a significant amount of further evidence gathering and analysis,” Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart added.
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