Political leaders across Europe and North America are confronting mounting fallout after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of documents detailing years of correspondence between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and prominent figures including diplomats, prime ministers, cabinet officials and royalty.
While some officials have resigned or face investigations, others — particularly in the United States — have denied wrongdoing and retained their posts. Here is a country-by-country breakdown of the political repercussions so far.
Epstein cultivated ties across the American political establishment, maintaining residences in New York, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
President Donald Trump
Donald Trump has said his friendship with Epstein began in the 1980s and ended in 2004 following a dispute over Palm Beach real estate. After the document release, Trump said he had been “totally exonerated.” He has denied any wrongdoing.
The White House has also defended Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island in 2012 despite previously claiming he had severed ties earlier. Lutnick denies misconduct and is resisting bipartisan calls to resign.
The Clintons
Bill Clinton appeared in Epstein’s flight logs from 2002–2003. He and Hillary Clinton are scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee. Hillary Clinton accused the administration of staging a “cover up.” Neither has been accused of wrongdoing by survivors.
Resignations and Consequences
Several former officials have stepped down:
- Kathy Ruemmler resigned from Goldman Sachs after documents showed she exchanged emails with Epstein post-2008 conviction.
- George Mitchell relinquished honorary positions and had his name removed from institutions following revelations of correspondence with Epstein.
- Larry Summers took leave from Harvard and resigned from outside board roles, apologizing for maintaining contact after Epstein’s conviction.
Most figures facing serious consequences in the U.S. are no longer in active public office.
The U.K. has experienced some of the most dramatic fallout.
Prince Andrew Arrested
Prince Andrew, Duke of York — now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid allegations he shared sensitive trade documents with Epstein in 2010.
He has long denied sexual misconduct allegations brought by Virginia Giuffre and settled a civil lawsuit in 2022 without admitting liability. His royal titles were stripped by King Charles III.
Businesses linked to his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, are reportedly shutting down amid renewed scrutiny.
Political Repercussions
Prime Minister Keir Starmer accepted resignations from senior aides over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.
Documents showed Epstein allegedly transferred $75,000 to Mandelson and received confidential information during the Gordon Brown government. Mandelson has resigned from the House of Lords and denies wrongdoing.
Norwegian authorities have launched sweeping corruption investigations:
- Thorbjørn Jagland, former prime minister and ex–Council of Europe chief, faces aggravated corruption charges. He denies wrongdoing.
- Diplomats Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen are under investigation after reports Epstein left their children $10 million in his will. Both deny criminal liability.
- Emails between Epstein and Mette-Marit have added pressure to Norway’s royal family. She has apologized for the correspondence but is not accused of criminal wrongdoing.
🇸🇪 Sweden
Joanna Rubinstein, chair of Sweden for UNHCR, resigned after documents showed she visited Epstein’s island in 2012. She acknowledged knowing about his 2008 conviction at the time but denies criminal misconduct.
Veteran Socialist politician Jack Lang stepped down as president of the Arab World Institute after photos showed him with Epstein.
Lang and his daughter Caroline Lang are under investigation for alleged money laundering connected to a Virgin Islands fund. Both deny wrongdoing.
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Miroslav Lajčák resigned as Slovakia’s national security adviser after communications with Epstein surfaced. He denies wrongdoing and has questioned the authenticity of some texts.
A Scandal With Global Reach
The Justice Department’s mass document release — an unusual departure from standard protocol — has triggered criminal probes, resignations and royal crises across multiple continents.
In the United States, active officeholders have largely weathered the storm while denying misconduct. In Europe, however, resignations, corruption charges and police investigations are reshaping political and royal institutions.
As authorities continue reviewing the trove of materials, the full scope of the political consequences remains uncertain — but the reverberations are already global.
