Epstein files trigger global fallout as royals, diplomats and Olympic chief face scrutiny
The release by U.S. authorities of a new cache of files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has set off a wave of repercussions across Europe and the United States, drawing in royals, senior diplomats, a top Olympic organizer and prominent political figures. None of the individuals named has been accused of wrongdoing.
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In Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose name appears at least 1,000 times in the newly released documents, said she showed “poor judgement” for what she called an “embarrassing” friendship with Epstein. The palace said she ended contact with him in 2014. Separately, Norway suspended a top diplomat pending an investigation into alleged ties to Epstein. Norwegian media reported that Epstein left $10 million in his will to the children of Mona Juul, a veteran diplomat involved in the secret talks that produced the Oslo accords in the early 1990s.
In Britain, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was again pulled into the scandal after the files included undated photos that appear to show him kneeling on all fours over a woman lying on the floor. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated that Andrew should testify to the U.S. Congress about his connections to Epstein. In October, King Charles stripped his brother of his royal titles after Virginia Giuffre alleged she had been trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was 17. Andrew has denied the claims. The release also included emails from Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who thanked Epstein for being “the brother I have always wished for,” and separately wrote that she “urgently” needed £20,000 for rent. Ferguson said in 2011 that she had cut ties with Epstein and called a £15,000 loan from him a “gigantic error of judgement.”
Belgium’s Prince Laurent acknowledged two “one-on-one” meetings with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s but denied meeting him at public or group events. In Slovakia, national security adviser Miroslav Lajcak resigned over his links to Epstein after messages reported by the BBC showed he exchanged texts in 2018 saying certain “girls are incredible.” Lajcak admitted the exchanges and said Epstein introduced him to “important people,” adding there were no girls present.
In the United States, Los Angeles 2028 Olympics chair Casey Wasserman apologized after decades-old flirtatious emails between him and Ghislaine Maxwell surfaced in the files. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for trafficking underage girls for Epstein. Wasserman said the 2003 exchanges took place before Maxwell’s crimes were known, adding that he had “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” and was “terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
Peter Mandelson, fired as the British ambassador to Washington last year over his ties to Epstein, quit the Labour Party following the latest disclosures. Undated photos in the files appear to show him in a T-shirt and underwear beside a woman whose face was redacted by U.S. authorities. Mandelson told the BBC he could not identify the woman or the location. Starmer has ordered an urgent inquiry into Mandelson’s links.
In France, Caroline Lang resigned as head of a film producers’ group amid scrutiny of her family’s connections to Epstein. Her father, Jack Lang, a former culture and education minister, said he was introduced to Epstein by filmmaker Woody Allen and had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Caroline Lang said she had been “incredibly naive” in considering a fund with Epstein to buy artworks.
Queen’s University Belfast said it will remove the name of former U.S. Senator George Mitchell from a peace center and take down a bust of him after new information appeared in the files. Mitchell, who chaired the talks that led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, has said he had no contact with Epstein after his conviction. A spokesperson said Mitchell “profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women.”
The documents’ release has intensified pressure on institutions and public figures to account for their dealings with Epstein and his associates. While no charges are suggested against those named, the cascade of resignations, suspensions and public apologies underscores how the Epstein files continue to reshape reputations and prompt official reviews years after his death.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
