The US-Ireland Alliance has removed the name Senator George Mitchell from its prestigious scholarship program, this after the the former Senate Majority Leader's name surfaced in the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a statement, the Alliance said: "The board of directors of the US-Ireland Alliance has unanimously agreed that its George J. Michell Scholarship program should no longer bear the former Senator’s name.
"The decision was made due to new information that has come to light as part of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein by the Department of Justice on Friday, according to Trina Vargo, founder and president of the US-Ireland Alliance.
"The Scholarship is a prestigious scholarship program that sends future American leaders to Ireland and Northern Ireland for a year of graduate study. In 2025, the Alliance proudly marked its 25th consecutive class of Scholars. Unrelated to today’s announcement, the Scholarship program is currently paused as the Alliance seeks to raise an endowment for the program."
Stated Trina Vargo: “We are extremely proud of the program and the Scholars, and this turn of events in no way diminishes their achievements or our commitment to keeping them connected to the island, the Alliance, and each other.
“This decision allows us to focus on our mission to strengthen the ties between the US and the island of Ireland. Given the current state of the relationship, that is more important than ever."
According to the statement Vargo noted that, in the short term, the Alliance will refer to the Scholars as the US-Ireland Alliance Scholars.
"She asked for patience as it will take some time for the Alliance to have conversations with many stakeholders, including the programs alums, the Irish Government, supporters, and others before it updates its website, social media accounts and other official channels to reflect the change in the Scholarship name."
Mitchell's name, as has been the case with those of many prominent individuals, has been linked to Epstein for some time though no specific action on the former senator's part has ever been proven.
Back in September of last year the BBC reported that Mitchell, who played a critical role in Northern Ireland's peace process, once described his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a "blessing."
This was according to a handwritten letter penned by Mitchell in what has been described as Epstein's (50th) "birthday book."
Reported the BBC: George Mitchell's letter was released on Tuesday by a US congressional panel as part of a copy of the book alleged to have been given to Epstein in 2003 to celebrate his 50th birthday.
In a statement to BBC News Northern Ireland at the time, Senator Mitchell said the letter was written in 2003, several years before Epstein's prosecution in Florida.
The statement said: "The senator stands by his prior statements regarding Epstein. During the time he knew Epstein, he had no knowledge of Epstein's actions involving underage girls. "He first learned of those actions through published reports of Epstein's prosecution in Florida. He never had any contact with Mr. Epstein again."
Added the BBC Report: "In 2019, Mitchell was accused of having sex with one of Epstein's victims. He denied the allegations, telling the BBC in 2024: 'The allegation contained in the released documents is false. I have never met, spoken with or had any contact with [the alleged victim].'"
Jeffrey Epstein died while in a New York prison facility in 2019. The official cause of death was suicide though numerous reports have included unsubstantiated contentions that Epstein did not take his own life.
