The release of the massive trove of Jeffrey Epstein files has sent shock waves through Europe’s political elite, leading to resignations and investigations, while the political fallout in the United States has been surprisingly muted, as reported by Associated Press. It’s wild that a prince, senior diplomats, and top politicians have all been brought down by the revelations, yet this political earthquake is happening almost entirely overseas.
The scale of the European carnage is astounding. Look at the U.K. alone: former Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was fired and could face prison time. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now dealing with a full-blown leadership crisis just because of the Mandelson appointment. Even before the latest batch of files dropped, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, lost his honors, princely title, and taxpayer-funded mansion due to his long-standing ties.
What’s truly striking is that, apart from the former Prince Andrew, none of these figures faces claims of sexual wrongdoing. They were toppled purely for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein after he was already a convicted sex offender. Mark Stephens, a specialist in international and human rights law, put it perfectly when he said, “Epstein collected powerful people the way others collect frequent flyer points. But the receipts are now in public, and some might wish they’d traveled less.”
It’s just accountability to the public, which is awfully absent in US politics at the moment
The U.K. repercussions are particularly severe. Mandelson, a veteran politician, long downplayed his relationship with the financier, despite calling him “my best pal” back in 2003. The new files reveal contact continued for years after Epstein’s 2008 prison term. Starmer fired Mandelson in September over earlier revelations, and now British police are investigating whether Mandelson committed misconduct in public office by passing on sensitive government information.
Beyond Britain, the files have caused chaos everywhere. Norway, a small Scandinavian country, has been heavily roiled, opening a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland. Also ensnared are the high-profile Norwegian diplomat couple Terje Rød-Larsen and Mona Juul. Juul has been suspended as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan after revelations that Epstein left the couple’s children $10 million in a will drawn up shortly before his death in 2019.
Other senior figures have fallen in Sweden and Slovakia, including Miroslav Lajcak, national security adviser to Slovakia’s prime minister, who quit over communications with Epstein that included the pair discussing “gorgeous” girls.
So why the huge difference in reaction? Rob Ford, a professor of political science, suggested that in Britain, if you’re in those files, “it’s immediately a big story.” He believes this suggests a more functional accountability structure in the U.K., where there’s still “a degree of shame in politics.” Alex Thomas, executive director of the Institute for Government, noted that parliamentary democracy, which requires a prime minister to retain the confidence of Parliament, definitely helps drive accountability.
We just haven’t seen that level of reckoning here in the States. Yes, a few high-profile Americans have faced consequences. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers took leave from his academic positions at Harvard late last year, and Brad Karp just quit as chair of the major law firm Paul Weiss. Also, the National Football League announced it would investigate New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, who exchanged sometimes crude emails with Epstein about potential dates with adult women.
But many other US associates haven’t faced severe sanctions yet. This includes former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who exchanged hundreds of texts with Epstein, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who accepted an invitation to visit Epstein’s private island. Tech billionaire Elon Musk also discussed visiting the island in emails, though he says he never made the trip.
Both President Trump and former President Bill Clinton have repeatedly faced questions about their ties to Epstein, though neither has ever been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims.
Published: Feb 9, 2026 08:30 am