Former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been formally charged with “aggravated corruption”.
That came following an investigation by Norway’s economic crime unit Økokrim into his connections with the late convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The charge was confirmed yesterday after police searched several of Jagland’s properties, including his Oslo residence.
The action followed the Council of Europe’s decision the previous day to waive the diplomatic immunity Jagland enjoyed as a former secretary general of the Council of Europe at the explicit request of Norwegian authorities.
Økokrim opened the probe on February 5, citing documents released by US authorities in the Epstein case that revealed emails and planned visits.
These allegedly show Jagland and family members intended to use Epstein’s properties in Paris, New York and Palm Beach after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child sex offences, as well as possible acceptance of travel or other benefits linked to Jagland’s official positions.
Jagland, who served as Norway’s prime minister in 1996–1997, foreign minister, president of the Storting (parliament), head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Council of Europe secretary general from 2009 to 2019, “denies all charges” according to his law firm Elden.
His lawyer, Anders Brosveet, described the formal charging as a procedural consequence of the searches and stressed that Jagland is co-operating fully with investigators and willing to be questioned.
The case forms part of a broader wave of Norwegian inquiries sparked by the Epstein document releases in late 2025, which have also implicated other prominent figures including diplomats and members of the royal family circle.
The scandal has reverberated across Norwegian politics, with current Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre describing the broader Epstein revelations as a “brutal reality” that demands unflinching scrutiny.
Jagland’s long tenure heading the Norwegian Nobel Committee (2009–2015) already drew criticism for perceived politicisation of the Peace Prize; now, questions swirl over whether any Epstein-linked benefits could have influenced decisions during that era.
In the US, the Epstein files continue to make waves as well.
Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel to then-president Barack Obama from 2011 to 2014, announced yesterday she will step down as chief legal officer and general counsel of Goldman Sachs, effective June 30, 2026.
Her years-long correspondence with Epstein. included emails in which she referred to him as an “older brother” or “Uncle Jeffrey”, wished him happy birthday affectionately and appeared to downplay aspects of his criminal history post-conviction.
She had previously defended her interactions as limited and professional, insisting she had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes beyond public reports.
