US Blocks Scotland Yard's Mandelson Probe, Delaying Charges

0:00On April 24th, Scotland Yards probe into Lord Mandelson hit a major roadblock from Donald Trump's Justice Department. Their blocking access to key evidence in the Epstein files, unless UK cops file a formal, mutual legal assistance request. That process could drag on for up to 18 months, slowing down the investigation into Mandelson's arrest on February 23rd for suspected, misconduct in public office. It stays earlier, Andrew Mountbatten-Winzer faced the same charge. Both men had ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, and Mandelson's accused of leaking sensitive government info like land sales during his time in office. Much of the evidence sits in those U.S. released Epstein files from January. That delay means any charging decision for Mandelson probably won't happen before 2028. In the U.S., the Justice Department says there's not enough in the files to prosecute anyone named. Having Attorney General Todd Blanche flat outtold, CNN nothing, their supports charges.

1:00Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump's pushing Congress to unredact names of abusers in the files, while her husband urges everyone to move on. Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene claims the president worries about his friends getting hurt by full releases. Both Mandelson and Mountbatten-Winzer deny any wrongdoing. U.S. officials announced Friday in audit of the Epstein files to check compliance with congressional laws on releasing everything. Prosecutors won't move until they get all the material, so this saw goes far from over as tensions simmer across the Atlantic.