Epstein files fallout: Norwegian police launch corruption probe into veteran diplomat Mona Juul and husband

Norwegian authorities have opened a formal investigation into high-profile diplomat Mona Juul and her husband, Terje Rod-Larsen, over suspected links to Jeffrey Epstein, amid a widening scandal triggered by the recent release of Epstein-related documents.

The National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim), Norway's specialized economic crime unit, announced on Monday that it had launched an inquiry into Juul on suspicion of gross corruption related to her time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Her husband, Rod-Larsen — a former diplomat, cabinet minister, and president of the International Peace Institute (IPI) — is being investigated for complicity in gross corruption.

The probe, which began last week, includes searches of the couple's Oslo residence and that of a witness, Økokrim stated.

Authorities are examining whether Juul received any benefits connected to her official position as a result of contacts with Epstein.

Juul, 66, a key figure in the secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians, resigned as Norway's ambassador to Jordan and Iraq on Sunday.

The resignation followed her suspension days earlier and came after Norwegian media reports — based on the newly released Epstein files — revealed that Epstein's will, signed shortly before his 2019 death in a New York jail, allegedly bequeathed $10 million ($5 million each) to the couple's two children.

Emails from the files also indicate that Rod-Larsen dined with Epstein in Paris in June 2019, weeks before Epstein's arrest on federal sex trafficking charges.

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described Juul's contacts with Epstein as a "serious lapse in judgment" that made it "difficult to restore the trust" required for her diplomatic role.

The ministry has initiated a separate internal review into Juul's knowledge of and interactions with Epstein, which will continue despite her resignation.

The government is also reviewing past grants to the IPI, formerly led by Rod-Larsen until his 2020 departure amid earlier Epstein-related scrutiny.

Lawyers for both Juul and Rod-Larsen have stated that their clients do not recognize the accusations, are cooperating with investigators, and are confident the matter will be resolved in their favor.

The developments are part of a broader fallout in Norway from the US Department of Justice's release of millions of pages of Epstein-related documents in recent months under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The files have implicated several prominent Norwegians, including: Former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, who is under a separate police investigation for suspected aggravated corruption over his Epstein ties.

World Economic Forum President and former Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende, whose dealings with Epstein prompted an internal WEF review.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who has expressed regret for "poor judgment" in maintaining contacts with Epstein and apologized to those disappointed by the revelations.

The scandal has sparked a crisis of confidence in Norway — a country that consistently ranks among the world's least corrupt — raising questions about elite networks and oversight.

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Neither appearing in the Epstein files nor having past associations with him necessarily implies wrongdoing, and no charges have been filed beyond the suspicions outlined by Økokrim. The investigation is expected to be comprehensive and lengthy, officials said.

Epstein files have so far tainted a number of European royalty, diplomats and government officials.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has already resigned over his role in appointing Peter Mandelson, a former friend of Epstein, as the UK's ambassador to the United States.

Starmer himself is battling to save his post over appointment of Mandelson.

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