Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour party “to avoid causing any further embarrassment” following the release of new documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

It was reported over the weekend that Epstein allegedly paid £75,000 to Mandelson in three separate transfers of £25,000 each in 2003 and 2004, according to BBC News.

In his letter to Labour’s general secretary, Mandelson states he has been “further linked to the furore around Jeffrey Epstein” and feels “deeply sorry”.

“Allegations, which I believe to be false, that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no recollection or record, need to be investigated by me,” he writes.

“Whilst I do so, I do not want to cause any further embarrassment to the Labour party and therefore resign my membership,” he says in the letter.

Images Emerge

Images of Mandelson in underwear have also been revealed in the latest batch of Epstein documents.

One image shows him standing next to a woman, whose face has been redacted by the US Department of Justice.

Mandelson reportedly states he “cannot place the location or the woman” and “cannot recall the circumstances”, according to the BBC.

Attempts to Influence Government

Mandelson was dismissed as the UK’s ambassador to the US last autumn after it emerged he maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction.

The new documents from the US Department of Justice show bank records apparently confirming payments from Epstein’s JP Morgan accounts.

The first payment went to a Barclays account where Mandelson’s then-partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva is named as the account holder, with “Peter Mandelson” listed as the recipient.

Emails in the documents also show Mandelson attempting to influence government policy regarding a planned tax on bank bonuses at Epstein’s request.

“Trying hard to get changes,” Mandelson wrote to Epstein in December 2009.

“Treasury digging in but I am working on it.”

At the time, Mandelson was Business Secretary in Gordon Brown’s government.