JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S INVOLVEMENT in a potential €3bn deal in Ireland’s Allied Irish Bank (AIB) at the height of the financial crisis is ‘deeply concerning’ and the government needs to clarify how far the conversations went. 

That’s according to Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty, speaking after the publication of the story showing that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was part of a small group of businessmen who discussed a potential deal involving AIB in 2011. 

“This is a glimpse into the murky world of vultures that sought to profit from the financial crash,” Doherty told The Journal. 

“As this was at a time when the state had already taken a substantial ownership of AIB, we need the government to clarify if any offer was ever made or entertained.”

The government press office has been asked for comment. 

Doherty said that it was “deeply concerning” that Epstein and others were seeking “to potentially take a substantial share in AIB”. At the time, the bank was owned almost entirely by the Irish state, which had stepped in to prevent the ailing bank from collapsing. 

Emails between Epstein and an investor named David Mitchell, released in the latest Epstein files drop, show that the pair arranged meetings and discussed an “AIB deal” in 2011 which they hoped to get Peter Mandelson, the now-disgraced British diplomat, to join.

AIB was experiencing significant financial struggles in 2011. It had to be bailed out by the Irish government after the 2008 financial crash. By the middle of 2011, the state had a 99.8% shareholding in the bank.

In February 2011, Mitchell emailed Epstein, to pitch an “Irish opportunity” he was working on. At this point, Epstein was registered as a sex offender after a Florida state court convicted him for soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008. 

Mitchell told Epstein that he had mentioned the deal to him previously, but it had since “gotten more serious”. He said it was set up by his partner who had UK partners “close with AIB”.

He said the deal would cost the businessmen between €1bn and €3bn, but described it as a “major opportunity”. 

Mitchell advised Epstein to use Peter, likely Peter Mandelson, to “spearhead” the deal as it was “his sweet spot”. He also told him to call another business associate involved in the deal and tell him of his “desire to have Peter involved”.

The documents do not show Mandelson being included in any of the correspondence or taking any steps about AIB.

There is no evidence that AIB was aware of or engaged in these discussions. The files indicate that the conversations between the men remained exploratory in nature. 

Peter Mandelson, Todd Boehly, Guggenheim Partners and David Mitchell have been contacted for comment. AIB did not want to comment on this story.