Norway Investigates 11 Senior Officials Amid Fallout From US Epstein Files

Norway’s Parliament has launched a formal investigation into 11 current and former high-ranking ministers, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, following the release of US documents detailing ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. US President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice published millions of Epstein-related files in January, exposing connections to prominent figures worldwide and triggering parliamentary inquiries and police investigations in Norway.

The public hearing, which began on Wednesday, focuses on reports that the Foreign Ministry allocated over 130 million kroner ($13.5m) between 1997 and 2018 to the International Peace Institute. The United Nations-affiliated think-tank was led from 2005 to 2020 by Terje Rod-Larsen, a prominent Norwegian diplomat and chief architect of the 1993 Oslo Accords. Prime Minister Stoere, who served as foreign minister from 2005 to 2012, has denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he never had any relationship with Epstein.

Terje Rod-Larsen was heavily implicated in the files and Norwegian media investigations concerning illicit loans, visa fraud for sex-trafficked women, and millions of dollars left to his children in Epstein's will. Jonas Andersen Sayed, who chaired the hearing at Parliament’s Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, emphasized the need to restore public trust in the foreign service and address accountability failures regarding development aid funds.

While testifying, Prime Minister Stoere stated that the problems were isolated lapses rather than a systemic issue within the Foreign Ministry, adding that Epstein exerted no influence over Norwegian government decisions. Meanwhile, former development minister Erik Solheim criticized the probe as an overreaction that could harm the national interest by causing unnecessary self-restraint among diplomats.

Alongside the parliamentary hearings, other prominent Norwegians—including former premier Thorbjoern Jagland, Terje Rod-Larsen, and his wife, ex-diplomat Mona Juul—are facing police investigations on corruption accusations. All three have denied any wrongdoing. An independent inquiry has also been established to conduct a broader examination of the case, with a final report due by January 31, 2028.