The board of directors of the US-Ireland Alliance announced Sunday it had unanimously agreed that its George J. Mitchell Scholarship program should no longer bear Mitchell’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,” Trina Vargo, founder and president of the US-Ireland Alliance, said in a press release.
Mitchell, a former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and federal judge from Maine, has previously denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein.
He also said he “never observed or suspected any inappropriate conduct with underage girls.”
The scholarship program sends future American leaders to Ireland and Northern Ireland for a year of graduate study. The program last year marked its 25th consecutive class.
“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,” said Vargo. “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,” Vargo added.
Vargo noted that, in the short term, participants will be referred to as the US-Ireland Alliance Scholars.