The Epstein files trigger a political crisis — but not in the U.S.
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Good morning. I'm Cecilia Lay filling in for Shamita Basu. On today's show, the latest Epstein documents causing scandals beyond America's borders and the British prime minister is now fighting for his political life.
The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us can barely comprehend. For them, I want to say this. I am sorry.
The Wall Street Journal tells us about the harmful chemicals in some people's water wells. And at the Super Bowl, the Seahawks shut down the Patriots and Bad Bunny delivers a historic show. It's Monday, February 9th, and this is Apple News Today.
What recent revelations about Epstein are impacting politics abroad?
The latest Jeffrey Epstein files are exposing just how deep the convicted sex offenders network was among the rich and powerful. So far, they've had limited impact on the political careers in the U.S., but in other countries, the revelations have been explosive. It's put a spotlight on senior political figures in Europe and could even bring down the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
We've got to clean up the system, a total cleanup of the system, an end to the corruption and unethical behavior. And if we don't do it, we'll pay a heavy price. I don't think you can understate how serious the situation, the peril is that the prime minister finds himself in. And there is no denying how bad that position is.
Veterans of Starmer's party there, speaking to the BBC. This all centers on Peter Mandelson, Starmer's controversial pick for U.S. ambassador. The documents revealed that Mandelson maintained a close friendship with Epstein long after the financier's conviction. And they show that while he was in government, Mandelson appeared to pass on market-sensitive and confidential information to Epstein. He's now being investigated by the police. For his part, Mandelson denies acting for financial gain and has apologized for keeping in touch with Epstein. Mandelson was fired as ambassador last September, but there's still big questions over the decision to appoint him. And yesterday, Starmer's chief of staff resigned over the scandal.
But that's unlikely to be the end of the matter. Starmer's polling is now among the worst of any modern British leader, and this has only weakened him further. Sky News questioned Starmer about his future as he apologized to Epstein's victims last week.
It has proved a catastrophic error of your judgment to put him back into your government. Some of your MPs, some are saying publicly now that you should stand down because your positions become untenable. Why are they wrong?
Well, as I've said a number of times, I regret the decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador. He was asked questions about the nature and extent of his relationship with Epstein, And he told lies.
Starmer isn't the only European politician damaged by the latest files. Norwegian police are investigating its former prime minister and chair of the Nobel Committee. Meanwhile, the CEO of the World Economic Forum, which organizes the exclusive Davos gathering, is now the subject of an internal investigation. And a former French culture minister is also being investigated. All have denied any wrongdoing. While the documents have not had the same dramatic effect in the U.S., the scrutiny is far from over. NBC reports that this week, lawmakers will get to see unredacted versions of the three million files currently available to the public. That's only about half of the documents in the DOJ's possession.
There are thought to be three million unreleased documents remaining. As lawmakers scrutinize the documents, they're also calling senior political figures to Congress. The Clintons have been ordered to give closed-door depositions to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, though over the weekend, the couple called for their testimony to be held in public. Former President Bill Clinton was in some of the released photos, though he hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing. Some Democrats have said Republicans are targeting the Clintons for political reasons, as Trump has not been called on to testify.
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