Norwegian Envoy Resigns as Epstein Links Deepen Political Fallout

A senior Norwegian diplomat has resigned as a political scandal linked to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to widen, raising questions about judgement, oversight, and accountability within European diplomatic circles.

Norway’s foreign ministry confirmed that Ambassador Mona Juul, 66, stepped down from her role as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq following disclosures about her past interactions with Epstein.

Juul had been suspended earlier while the ministry conducted an internal review after newly released U.S. documents detailed Epstein’s contacts with influential figures across politics, business, and diplomacy.

• Mona Juul resigns as Epstein links trigger political fallout
• Norway envoy steps down amid scrutiny over past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein
• Epstein-related disclosures fuel resignations and reviews across Europe

Juul acknowledged that her association with Epstein represented a serious lapse in judgement. In a statement issued through her lawyer, she said remaining in office would undermine confidence in Norway’s foreign service. She has said she will cooperate fully with authorities to clarify the nature and context of the contacts cited in the documents.

A long-serving diplomat, Juul was part of the Norwegian team behind the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians and has previously served as ambassador to Britain, Israel, and the United Nations. Her career had been regarded as one of Norway’s most distinguished in international diplomacy.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the resignation was necessary to protect trust in the country’s diplomatic institutions. He added that any links between senior officials and a convicted sex offender were incompatible with public service, regardless of when the contact occurred.

The fallout has spread beyond Norway. In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned after it emerged he had advised on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States, another figure named in Epstein-related files.

Norway is also reviewing past government funding to the International Peace Institute, a New York-based think tank previously led by Juul’s husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, which has faced scrutiny over its own connections to Epstein.

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The controversy has renewed attention on other prominent Norwegians, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who has previously apologised for earlier contact with Epstein.

The episode highlights how renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s network continues to prompt resignations, investigations, and political consequences across Europe.