The publication of a new part of the so-called “Epstein Files” in early 2026 became one of the most high-profile international political scandals. These materials triggered a chain reaction of investigations in Europe, from criminal cases against former prime ministers to the resignations of diplomats and politicians and raised new questions about the nature of Epstein’s network—whether it was simply a criminal enterprise or part of a complex system of influence intertwined with money, politics, and compromising material.
Epstein began his career in finance in the late 1970s, and by 1990, he had become a wealth manager for wealthy clients and an intermediary in investment deals. His circle included billionaires, politicians, and members of the aristocracy. However, by the early 2000s, American investigators had established that the financier had organized a sex trafficking ring, including for minors. According to the US Attorney’s Office, between 2002 and 2005, he systematically lured girls, paying them money and forcing them to recruit new victims.
Despite the gravity of the charges against him, in 2008, Epstein entered into a plea bargain with Florida prosecutors and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served approximately 13 months behind bars, with a significant portion of that time allowed to be released on “work release.”
This deal effectively granted immunity from federal prosecution not only to him but also to potential accomplices. Even then, lawyers and journalists questioned why someone accused of such serious crimes received such a lenient sentence.
In July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York again indicted Epstein, this time on human trafficking charges. A month later, he was found dead in his jail cell. The official death, attributed to suicide, did not halt the investigation. On the contrary, it was after his death that a years-long battle to unlock the investigative archives began, ultimately resulting in the public release of millions of pages of documents known as the “Epstein Files.” Analysis of these materials reveals that Epstein built a system of influence based on a combination of financial services, personal contacts, and closed events for the global elite. Through charitable foundations, financial projects, and private meetings, he created a networking space for members of the global establishment. This model offered several advantages, including access to political insiders, opportunities to participate in investment deals, and the ability to broker deals between elite circles. His companies’ financial transactions were processed through major international banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. These banks subsequently paid hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for claims related to the servicing of his accounts.
Experts describe this system as a unique social infrastructure for the elite, where money, personal connections, and access to closed circles were exchanged for political influence.
The publication of new documents from the “Epstein Files” in 2026 sparked a backlash in Europe. One of the first political crises occurred in the UK, when, on February 1, 2026, influential politician Peter Mandelson announced his resignation from the Labour Party following the publication of emails from 2009. In one email, he provided Epstein with confidential information about then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown (alias “John Pond”) and his secure email address. This leak effectively handed over an internal government communications channel to a person already under investigation. The scandal increased pressure on the current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, whose position within the party had noticeably weakened. At the same time, the investigation has once again brought into focus the figure of Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor), previously mentioned in the case materials. According to investigative journalists, the published files contain more than 40 references to British politicians, diplomats, and members of the aristocracy who had contact with Epstein between the late 1990s and early 2010s.
A major scandal also erupted in Norway. On February 13, 2026, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland (1996–2000, 2005–2010) found himself at the center of an investigation into a $2.5 million financial transaction conducted through entities linked to Epstein. Concurrently, leaked emails linked the Norwegian monarchy’s inner circle to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s private residence. The documents mentioned contacts with Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. The scandal, coupled with a separate trial against her stepson, intensified public outcry. The royal family issued an official statement, but the consequences were severe: opinion polls showed a drop in trust in the monarchy of approximately 15%.
The scandal also affected other European countries. On January 31, 2026, Miroslav Lajčák, Prime Minister Robert Fico’s national security adviser, was dismissed following the publication of his correspondence with Epstein. Investigators discovered over 150 messages sent between 2007 and 2012, discussing meetings and trips and mentioning “young women.”
In Sweden, UN diplomat Lisa Svensson resigned on February 1 following the publication of documents detailing her three visits to Epstein’s island between 2009 and 2011. Johanna Rubinstein, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, also resigned at the same time.
France also experienced its own political crisis. On February 7, former Culture Minister Jack Lang resigned as head of the Arab World Institute following the publication of documents in which his name was mentioned more than 600 times. According to the investigation, some of the correspondence concerned financial transactions through offshore entities amounting to approximately $10 million.
The investigation into the “Epstein files” is gradually leading investigators to question how the financier managed to maintain influence for decades and avoid serious consequences. One key factor was financial intermediation. Jeffrey Epstein managed the capital of ultra-wealthy clients and acted as an intermediary in investment deals, which provided him with access to sensitive economic information and circles of political influence. His social capital played an equally important role, as his residences and private events served as platforms for the global elite, where informal connections were formed between politicians, businessmen, and financiers. Finally, some experts suggest the existence of a mechanism for accumulating compromising information, as his extensive and important contacts could have created the conditions for collecting sensitive data on influential individuals, potentially turning this into a tool for exerting pressure and protecting against investigations.
A separate line of discussion in the investigation concerns the possible ties between Epstein’s network and intelligence agencies. These speculations stem primarily from an unusually lenient plea deal he received in Florida back in 2008, a rare occurrence in cases of this magnitude. Epstein’s long period of virtual impunity also raises questions. Despite numerous charges and public investigations, he continued to maintain contacts with international elites, hosting politicians, businessmen, academics, and aristocrats from various countries at his residences in New York, Palm Beach, and Little St. James. While no direct evidence of intelligence involvement in Epstein’s activities has been presented, some former intelligence officials and international security experts note that such closed networks could be of interest to intelligence agencies, as they provide access to influential individuals and potentially sensitive information. In particular, former CIA officer Jock Kiriakov, in an interview with American media, indicated that such connections could theoretically be used as platforms for gathering information and establishing informal channels of influence on political and financial elites.
Against the backdrop of the European political crisis, the US response appears noticeably restrained. Experts attribute this to the fact that American society has been discussing the Epstein case for many years, effectively since his arrest in 2019, so the new document releases did not come as a surprise political shock. Furthermore, the scandal affects a wide range of political and financial elites within the country, making the government’s response more cautious and measured. A significant number of trials have already taken place. The most high-profile was the case of his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of participating in a sex trafficking ring, as well as multimillion-dollar lawsuits against banks accused of inadequate oversight of financial transactions related to Epstein.
Today, the Epstein case is gradually moving beyond the confines of a criminal investigation. Investigations are ongoing in several countries, and the released documents could lead to new political consequences. The central question remains was Jeffrey Epstein simply a criminal with access to elites or was he part of a broader system of influence, where money, politics, and kompromat formed a global network of power. The answer could change our understanding of how modern international elites’ function and why one private scandal could trigger a political crisis in Europe.