Peter Mandelson, Britain¡¯s former ambassador to the U.S., resigned from the U.K.¡¯s ruling Labour Party to avoid causing it ¡°further embarrassment¡± after the latest revelations about his links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Mandelson is facing questions about payments totaling ?75,000 ($103,000) made to him and his partner by Epstein in 2003 and attempts to stop the U.K. from introducing a tax on bankers¡¯ bonuses in 2009 after a request from Epstein.

The disclosures, which include more compromising pictures of Mandelson, came in the latest release of the Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice last week.