The repercussions of newly released documents concerning U.S. billionaire Jeffrey Epstein—who was accused of running a child sexual abuse network and was found dead in prison—continue to reverberate. The documents were published on January 30 under the U.S. Department of Justice’s transparency law.
Norwegian career diplomat Mona Juul has been forced to resign from her post as Ambassador to Jordan after her connections to Epstein were revealed.
The scandal involving Juul—who played a key role in the Oslo Accords alongside her husband Terje Rød-Larsen, and who previously served as Norway’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and the United Nations—has added a new wave to the Epstein shock in Norway and across Europe.
Juul, whose links to the disgraced Epstein surfaced in documents made publicly accessible under U.S. transparency laws, had been temporarily suspended earlier this week pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF HER CONTACT WITH EPSTEIN”
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced that Juul, whose name appeared in the latest Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice, has resigned from her ambassadorial post.
“Juul’s contact with Epstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes, represents a serious lapse in judgment on her part,” Eide said. “This makes it difficult to restore the trust required to perform the duties of her position.”
Eide stated that Juul’s decision to step down from her role as Ambassador to Jordan—whose portfolio also covers Iraq—was made following consultations with the ministry earlier this week.
“It is important to understand the extent of Juul’s contact with Epstein in her capacity as a Foreign Ministry employee,” Eide said, adding that Juul will continue cooperating with the ministry. “We need to clarify whether her relationship with Epstein had any impact on her work as a diplomat.”
“SHE WILL CONTINUE TO FULLY COOPERATE WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTRY”
Juul’s lawyer, Thomas Skjelbred, said the veteran diplomat voluntarily resigned because the current situation made it impossible for her to continue in her role.
In a statement, Skjelbred said, “Mona Juul will continue to cooperate fully with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that all facts related to the matter are brought to light.”
MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH EPSTEIN REVEALED
The latest documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Juul and her husband Rød-Larsen—who also previously served as a minister—had multiple contacts with Epstein, including meetings, dinners, and shared vacations. The documents also allege that Epstein helped the Norwegian couple purchase a large and luxurious home in Oslo at roughly half of its market value.
Juul and Rød-Larsen were prominent members of a group of Norwegian diplomats who played a key role in the 1993–95 Oslo Accords process and were widely referred to in Norway as the country’s “peace couple” due to their involvement.
In Norway, connections between Epstein and several prominent figures have come to light, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the wife of Crown Prince Haakon. Crown Princess Mette-Marit had previously issued a written apology for maintaining a close relationship with Epstein.
