Norwegian Envoy Steps Down as Epstein Files Deepen Political Fallout

By Staff, Agencies

Norway’s Foreign Ministry announced the resignation of veteran diplomat Mona Juul following what it described as a serious lapse in judgment linked to her past contacts with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as revelations from newly released US documents continue to reverberate internationally.

Juul had been suspended earlier this week from her post as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq pending an internal review after her name appeared in a large cache of US government records connected to Epstein. The ministry said the investigation concluded that the issue had eroded confidence in her ability to continue serving in the role.

“Juul’s contact with Epstein represents a grave error of judgment and makes it difficult to restore the trust required for such a position,” Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement on Sunday.

Through her lawyer, Juul said she chose to step aside because the circumstances made it impossible for her to effectively carry out her duties. She added that she would continue to cooperate fully with authorities reviewing the matter.

Juul, 66, is a long-serving figure in Norwegian diplomacy, having previously held ambassadorial posts to the “Israeli” regime, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations. She also served as a junior government minister earlier in her career.

The Foreign Ministry simultaneously announced a review of historical government funding to the International Peace Institute [IPI], a New York-based think tank led until 2020 by Juul’s husband, Terje Rød-Larsen. A former cabinet minister, Rød-Larsen has previously acknowledged and apologized for his association with Epstein. His lawyer said he welcomed a renewed examination, noting that the National Audit Office had already investigated the issue in past years.

Juul and Rød-Larsen rose to international prominence in the 1990s as central facilitators of the Oslo Accords between “Israel” and the Palestinians, a role that placed them at the heart of Middle East diplomacy.

The widening Epstein scandal has also implicated other prominent Norwegian figures. Crown Princess Mette-Marit recently issued a renewed public apology through the royal palace over her past connections to Epstein.

On Tuesday, Craig Mokhiber, former head of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR], said that Juul and Rød-Larsen had taken personal loans from Epstein and that “their children were reportedly left $10 million in Epstein’s will,” further intensifying scrutiny of the couple.

Epstein, who maintained ties with numerous powerful figures, including US President Donald Trump, Britain’s former Prince Andrew, and former US President Bill Clinton, was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. Two months later, he was found dead in a New York jail cell. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though it has fueled years of speculation regarding the role of his influential associates and potential efforts to obscure the full scope of his crimes.

Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by Congress, the US "Department of Justice" released documents detailing Epstein’s network of accomplices and enablers. Some of the newly disclosed emails suggest Epstein functioned as an informal diplomat and intelligence intermediary for a range of political figures, further blurring the line between criminal activity and elite power networks.