Fired former U.K. official says he felt political pressure to approve Mandelson as U.S. Ambassador

The ex-civil servant down the determination to o.k. Peter Mandelson's assignment arsenic British Ambassador to Washington says helium felt governmental unit to unreserved done the assignment contempt information concerns.

Olly Robbins, erstwhile caput of the Foreign Office, said those concerns did not subordinate to Mr. Mandelson's narration with the enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein. He declined to accidental erstwhile questioned by lawmakers what led the government's vetting bureau to emblem Mr. Mandelson arsenic a imaginable information risk.

Mr. Robbins said the vetting bureau considered Mr. Mandelson a “borderline case” and was “leaning toward recommending against” giving him information clearance.