Bertie Ahern says it 'is not clear to him' what George Mitchell is being accused of in Epstein files

Olivia Kelleher

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said it is “not clear” to him what former US Senator George Mitchell is being accused of in relation to his appearance in the Epstein files.

Mitchell has said on multiple occasions that he had no contact with Jeffrey Epstein following his conviction in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute.

However, the latest tranche of Epstein files released last Friday includes emails which appear to indicate that attempts were made by the disgraced financier to organise meetings with Mitchell in 2010 and 2013.

There is no confirmation within the documents as to whether a meeting took place. The names of senders and recipients are redacted, so there is also no clarity as to who was communicating with whom.

Speaking today on Newstalk Breakfast, Ahern said he has known 92-year-old Mitchell for “the best part of thirty years,” having worked alongside him during the Peace process.

”I looked at this as closely as I could the other day, because obviously I know George Mitchell very well.

“I don't see what he has done. There is a few emails which are unclear whether they were coming from him or they were coming from Epstein.

“So, that's not clear. Listen I haven’t been across five million documents, so I don't know what's in it.

“But all that I can say is that it looks as if Epstein met half the world, and he was trying to interact with half the world.

If George Mitchell had a few emails back and forward and God knows what they were about, but on the other side of it, there seemed to have been over a thousand emails between Putin and Epstein. And you would be worried about what all of those were as well.”

The former Fianna Fáil leader said that it was his understanding that Mitchell didn’t have any contact with Epstein post his conviction in 2008.

“I don't see what George Mitchell is being accused of.  It is not clear to me what he is being accused of.

As I understand it, George Mitchell's position is that he didn't have any contact after that date [when Epstein was convicted].

“That's what's an issue now; whether those last emails that were redacted were from George Mitchell or were they from Epstein - and that's not clear.

“So, I can't assume that George Mitchell had contact with him after 2008. I just don’t know If he did, he shouldn't have - but it's not clear.”

Meanwhile, Queen’s University Belfast has cut ties with Senator Mitchell, arising out of his links to Jeffrey Epstein. A bust of Mitchell has been removed from the campus, whilst his name has been taken off the Institute of Global Peace, Security and Justice.

The US-Ireland Alliance has removed the name of the American diplomat from their scholarship programme due to his links with the convicted child sex abuser.

Calls have also been made within Belfast City Council to remove the freedom of the city from Mitchell.

The Alliance Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit have said the freedom of Belfast should be revoked. Mitchell had received the honour in 2018 for his vital role in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

Cork City Council has declined to comment on whether the Freedom of the City will be removed from former Mitchell over his links the last sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

In 1998 Cork City Council opted to give Mitchell the Freedom of the City in recognition of what was then described as his “exceptional commitment to the cause of lasting peace, justice and harmony in Northern Ireland.”

In a statement, Cork City Council said that it “notes the decision” of Queen’s University Belfast over the weekend.

“The Freedom of Cork was conferred upon former Senator George Mitchell in 1998, at the request of the then Lord Mayor, to recognise his role in the Northern Ireland peace process.

This once-off award was conferred upon him several years before there was public knowledge about the first allegations against Jeffrey Epstein.

The City Council has no further comment on the matter at the moment.”