Norwegian Diplomat Steps Down After Ties to Epstein Files Surface
Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona Juul, resigned Sunday amid mounting scrutiny over her reported contacts with convicted U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a scandal now spreading through Norwegian politics and elite circles. According to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Juul’s contact with Epstein represented a serious lapse in judgment and eroded the trust required for her sensitive diplomatic role.
The resignation escalates pressure on Oslo’s foreign service amid recently released pages from the U.S. Epstein Files Transparency Act, which flagged Juul and her longtime diplomat husband Terje Rød-Larsen in correspondence and estate documents. Juul was suspended earlier this week while the ministry reviewed the extent of her involvement.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Juul’s decision to step down was “correct and necessary,” echoing concerns that her continued presence in post had become untenable after the disclosures. Juul, 66, previously served as ambassador to Israel, the U.K. and the U.N., and played a key role in the Oslo peace process decades ago.
Complicating matters, Norway’s top crime prosecutor Økokrim has opened a formal investigation into Juul and Rød-Larsen on corruption suspicions connected to the Epstein links, including allegations around a below-market apartment purchase tied to Epstein associates.
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“This case is being taken seriously and all relevant facts must be clarified,” a government spokesperson said, underscoring that the inquiry is ongoing.
The scandal has rippled beyond Juul, involving public apologies from Crown Princess Mette-Marit and scrutiny of former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland over separate links to Epstein’s network.
Norwegian authorities now face the task of determining the full extent of Epstein’s influence on public figures, while political debate intensifies at home. What happens next is a parliamentary review of foreign service oversight and whether further resignations or reforms will follow.
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