'Epstein files' fallout triggers apologies, resignations, probes, questions

Jeffrey Epstein cultivated a global network of politicians, top business executives, academics and celebrities, many of whom have been severely tainted by association with the convicted sex offender.

While high-profile figures like Britain's former prince Andrew have been very publicly disgraced, some powerful but lesser-known names have been sacked, forced to resign, placed under investigation or had their positions placed under review.

The US Justice Department last week released the latest cache of so-called “Epstein files” – more than three million documents, photos and videos related to its investigation into the financier, who died from what was determined to be suicide while in custody in 2019.

The mere mention of someone's name in the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person.

Epstein was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor and died while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking minors.

Clintons to testify
Former president Bill Clinton and his wife, former top US diplomat Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify in Congress about sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in late February. Bill Clinton will appear on February 27, and Hillary Clinton will do so the day before, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee said. James Comer said the Democratic power couple had "completely caved" after a House panel recommended contempt charges, "and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month." Both Clintons had been ordered to give closed-door depositions before the House Oversight Committee, which is probing Epstein's connections to powerful figures and how information about his crimes was handled. In refusal letters, the couple argued that the subpoenas were invalid because they lacked a clear legislative purpose. Democrats say the probe is being weaponised to attack political opponents of US President Donald Trump – himself a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify – rather than to conduct legitimate oversight. The former president has acknowledged flying on Epstein's plane in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work, but said he never visited Epstein's private island. Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island. 

Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson, who was fired as the British ambassador to Washington last year over his ties to Epstein, quit the Labour Party on Sunday following the latest wave of revelations. Undated photos appear to show Mandelson in a T‑shirt and underwear beside a woman whose face was redacted by US authorities. Mandelson told the BBC he could not identify the woman or the location. UK leader Starmer has ordered an urgent inquiry into Mandelson's ties with Epstein.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
Britain's former prince Andrew was again caught up in the scandal. The latest release included undated photos of him kneeling on all fours over a woman lying on the floor. Starmer indicated Saturday that Andrew should testify to the US Congress about his ties to Epstein. In October, King Charles III stripped his brother of his royal titles after the late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was 17. In one email from Friday's release, Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson thanked Epstein for being "the brother I have always wished for". In another, she wrote: "urgently need 20,000 pounds for rent today... Any brainwaves?" Ferguson said in a 2011 interview that she was cutting ties with Epstein, and has also called a £15,000 (US$20,000) loan that she took from him to help pay off debts a "gigantic error of judgement.”

Borge Brende
The governing board of the World Economic Forum, which organises the Davos summit, has ordered an independent review of the interactions of WEF chief Borge Brende, 60, with Epstein. Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, has acknowledged attending dinners with Epstein in New York in 2018 and 2019. He has insisted he was "completely unaware" of Epstein's criminal activities.

Princess Mette-Marit
Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, whose name appears at least 1,000 times in the millions of freshly released documents, has said "she showed poor judgment" for her "embarrassing" friendship with Epstein. In one email, Mette-Marit asked Epstein if it was "inappropriate for a mother to suggest two naked women carrying a surfboard for my 15 yr old son's wallpaper.” According to the palace, Mette-Marit ceased contact with Epstein in 2014.

Thorbjorn Jagland
Former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland, 75, is under police investigation on "suspicion of aggravated corruption" over his links to Epstein, which include many email exchanges unearthed from the released files. Jagland served as prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and later as secretary-general of the Council of Europe. He also chaired the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mona Juul
Mona Juul, 66, a Norwegian diplomat who played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo accords of the early 1990s, has been suspended pending an investigation into her alleged ties to Epstein. Epstein left US$10 million in his will to Juul's two children with her husband, fellow diplomat and Oslo talks broker Terje Rod-Larsen. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said Juul, currently the Norwegian envoy to Jordan, was being temporarily relieved while the investigation was underway.

Prince Laurent
Belgium's Prince Laurent admitted on Monday to two "one-on-one" meetings with Epstein, dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s. King Philippe's 62-year-old younger brother, however, denied ever meeting the disgraced financier at "public or group events.”

Dean Kamen
US engineer Dean Kamen, 74, the inventor of the Segway, took a leave of absence from the board of directors of the robotics organisation he founded, FIRST. The latest Epstein files release includes photos of Kamen with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking underage girls to the disgraced financier. They also include an email in which Kamen thanks Epstein for a 2013 visit to his private Caribbean island.

Brad Karp
American attorney Brad Karp, 66, stepped down after 18 years as the chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the most powerful corporate law firms in the United States. In emails, Karp thanked Epstein for inviting him to a 2015 dinner at his Manhattan mansion, calling it "an evening I'll never forget." Karp, who has said he regrets socialising with Epstein, also asked Epstein in another email if he could help get his son a job on a Woody Allen film.

Miroslav Lajcak
Miroslav Lajcak, 62, the Slovakian government's national security advisor, resigned after text messages included in the Epstein files showed the two men discussing women. Lajcak was foreign minister at the time.

Caroline Lang
French film producer and former actor Caroline Lang, the daughter of former French culture minister Jack Lang, resigned as head of a film producers' group following revelations of the family's Epstein ties. Caroline Lang told French investigative website Mediapart that she and Epstein had agreed to set up a company together to buy artworks but she did not invest any money in it. She described herself as being "incredibly naïve." Her father, Jack Lang, 86, said he was introduced to Epstein by Woody Allen about 15 years ago and had no knowledge of his crimes.

George Mitchell
Former US senator George Mitchell, 92, brokered the negotiations which led to the 1998 peace agreement ending three decades of conflict over British rule in Northern Ireland. Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland dropped Mitchell's name this week from its Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice over his links with Epstein. Mitchell has previously said he regrets having met and known Epstein and that he had no knowledge of his illegal activities.

Steve Tisch
Steve Tisch, 76, producer of Forrest Gump and co-owner of the New York Giants, was connected by Epstein to multiple women, according to email exchanges between the two. Tisch acknowledged in a statement that he and Epstein had "a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments." National Football League chief Roger Goodell said the league, which has a strict personal conduct policy, would "look at all the facts" before deciding whether to take any action against Tisch.

Casey Wasserman
Casey Wasserman, 51, has faced calls to step down as chairman of the Los Angeles Organising Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games after flirtatious email exchanges between him and Maxwell emerged. Wasserman has said he "deeply regrets" the exchanges he had with Maxwell in 2003, well before Epstein's and Maxwell's crimes were public knowledge.