On Jan. 30, the U.S. Department of Justice said it had published millions of additional pages in compliance with the "Epstein Files Transparency Act," taking the total disclosure to nearly 3.5 million pages, alongside thousands of videos and images.
BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The newly released files on the late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein have sparked scrutiny across the Atlantic, prompting the resignation of several political figures over their ties to the convicted sex offender.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Mona Juul has stepped down as Norway's ambassador to Jordan, also accredited to Iraq, after revelations about her contact with Epstein.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called the resignation "right and necessary," saying Juul's contact with the convicted sex offender showed a "serious failure of judgment" and made it difficult to restore the level of trust required for the post.
Juul had previously been relieved of her duties while the ministry reviewed her knowledge of and contact with Epstein. The ministry said its internal fact-finding will continue even after Juul's resignation, with particular attention to the rules that apply to state employees and officials both in and outside service.
In Britain, Morgan McSweeney has resigned as chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid allegations that he was responsible for the appointment of Peter Mandelson to the position of ambassador to the United States, Sky News reported Sunday.
Mandelson, 72, was appointed ambassador to Washington in early 2025. Starmer later dismissed him after just seven months in the post amid fallout from an earlier release of Epstein-related files.
Mandelson's name has reappeared in media coverage of the latest disclosures. British police have opened a criminal investigation into him over alleged misconduct in public office, including questions related to the handling of sensitive information.
"The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong," McSweeney said in a resignation letter published by local media. "He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself. When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice."
Starmer on Thursday also apologized for his previous decision to appoint Mandelson as the ambassador, saying that he had underestimated the seriousness of Mandelson's past association with Epstein.
Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang has offered to step down as president of the Arab World Institute, a Paris-based cultural and academic institution, amid controversy linked to newly released documents related to the Epstein case, French media reported on Saturday.
According to France Info, Lang sent a letter on Saturday to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, proposing to tender his resignation at an upcoming extraordinary meeting of the institute's board of directors. He said the move was intended to "preserve" the institution in a climate marked by what he described as "personal attacks."
France's national financial prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation on Friday into Lang and his daughter on suspicion of aggravated tax fraud and money laundering.
On Jan. 30, the U.S. Department of Justice said it had published millions of additional pages in compliance with the "Epstein Files Transparency Act," taking the total disclosure to nearly 3.5 million pages, alongside thousands of videos and images. The massive release has intensified scrutiny of Epstein's connections and renewed political pressure in multiple countries.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that the files have revealed what he called the "pure satanism" of Western elites and exposed the West's true nature.
"This topic (the Epstein files) is about revealing the true face of what is called the collective West, what is called the deep state, or, better said, the deep union that rules over the Western countries and is trying to govern the entire world," Lavrov told Russian broadcaster NTV. "I think it is unnecessary to explain to normal people that it is beyond human logic and that it is pure satanism."■
