The release of millions of files linked to the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice affected politicians from different countries and continents. The names mentioned in the documents range from former presidents and members of current governments to diplomats, parliamentarians and members of royal houses, in records that include emails, photographs, invitations and intimate conversations.
In the United States, the files mention well-known figures in American politics, such as current President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump appears in old photographs, invitations and exchanges of messages from the 1990s and early 2000s, the period before Epstein’s conviction. The president denies any involvement in crimes, claims that he broke off relations with the financier years before his arrest and rejects the authenticity of some documents.
Bill Clinton, in turn, acknowledged having traveled on Epstein’s aircraft on missions linked to the Clinton Foundation, but claims he was never on the financier’s island and denies wrongdoing. Hillary Clinton declared that she had no relevant relationship with Epstein. Both recently agreed, after public pressure due to the new batch of files, to testify to Congress as part of legislative investigations into the case.
Still in the USA, the documents also mention names such as Howard Lutnick, current Secretary of Commerce, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Steve Bannon. None of them were formally charged with crimes related to the case, but the mentions fueled questions on social media.
Case heats up European politics
The political impact of the release of the new Epstein files has been quite strong in Europe. In the United Kingdom, the files revealed a close and prolonged relationship between Epstein and Peter Mandelson, a former left-wing Labor Party minister, former European commissioner and former British ambassador to the United States. Documents made available by the American government on the 30th show that Mandelson even received money from Epstein, as well as exchanges of emails, personal comments and requests for political advice.
The breadth and content of the exchange of conversations between the left-wing politician and Epstein placed Mandelson in the center of attention of British authorities after the material was released. The former minister is currently the target of investigations by the police and the European Union. Perhaps he is, to date, the political figure most directly affected by the most recent revelations from the archives about the American financier.
Mandelson’s case is also putting the government of Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer at risk, who admitted this Wednesday (4) that he knew about the former minister’s links with Epstein. British deputies, both from the conservative and nationalist opposition and from the Labor base, are pressuring Starmer to provide more explanations about the process of appointing Mandelson to prominent positions in his government. The British press has reported that the case could leave the Starmer government, which is already facing low popularity, in check.
The case also hit hard – again – the British monarchy, as the release of the files brought problematic photos involving former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, fueling even more questions surrounding how close he was to Epstein and his crimes.
Crisis in the Norwegian monarchy and politicians in check in Slovakia
In Norway, the documents placed Crown Princess Mette-Marit under heavy scrutiny. The files indicate that she maintained intimate contact with Epstein and even stayed at one of his properties in the United States, even after his conviction for sexual crimes in 2008. In exchange for conversations, Mette appears to be quite close to Epstein. In one of the files, she even wished the financier a happy birthday. In another, the crown princess asked for tips on how to deal with her son, Marius Borg Høiby. She also offered “tips” to Epstein when the financier said he was looking for a wife.
The revelation comes at an already sensitive time for the Norwegian royal family, which is also facing the trial of Marius Borg for multiple crimes in a process that has attracted widespread public and political attention in the country. After the release of the new documents, a survey carried out in Norway showed that a significant portion of the population began to question whether Mette-Marit should become queen. According to the survey, around 47.6% of those interviewed stated that she should not hold the position in the future, while approximately 28.9% said they supported her ascension to the throne.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre publicly criticized the princess’ stance, saying she demonstrated a “lack of judgment” in maintaining contact with Epstein. This week, amid the worsening crisis involving the monarchy, the Norwegian Parliament voted on a proposal that put the maintenance of the monarchical model in the country under discussion. The initiative ended up being rejected by a large majority, with parliamentarians opting to preserve the constitutional monarchy.
After the release of the new files, Princess Mette publicly apologized, stated that she had shown “little discernment” in maintaining contact with Epstein and declared solidarity with the victims.
In Slovakia, the Epstein files affected former Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, who decided to resign from the position of national security advisor he was holding in the country’s current government after the disclosure of messages exchanged with Epstein between 2018 and 2019, in the files made available in January. Communications include comments of content considered inappropriate and references to meetings.
Lajčák admitted to having been in contact with Epstein, but claimed to have had no knowledge of or participation in the financier’s crimes. The documents also mention the current president of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, and Prime Minister Robert Fico, cited in third-party emails. Both denied any direct relationship with Epstein.
US midterm elections under the shadow of the Epstein case
The United States is holding mid-term legislative elections this year, which should be decisive for the continuity of President Donald Trump’s government program. Currently, the Republican Party, the president’s party, controls both houses of Congress.
The disclosure of the Epstein files is already stirring the political debate in Washington at this time. Democrats are using the release of the files to criticize the Trump administration and try to associate the Republican administration with the financier who died in 2019. Among Republicans, the strategy has been different. Party parliamentarians began to focus on former President Clinton, who appears in photos and documents released by the Department of Justice.
A survey released by Fox News on January 29 shows that 52% of American voters say they prefer Democratic candidates for Congress, compared to 46% who say they support Republicans. Other institutes also point to a Democratic advantage.
Historically, the party that occupies the White House tends to face losses in midterm elections. Since World War II, on average, the party of the incumbent president in the USA loses around 26 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 4 in the Senate in these elections. On only a few rare occasions, such as in 1998 with Bill Clinton and in 2002 with George W. Bush, has the governing party managed to gain seats.
For finance and taxation expert Adriana Melo, the revelations of the Epstein files may end up having limited impact on this year’s elections. The analyst highlighted that, historically, national scandals tend to have clearer effects in presidential elections than in legislative disputes.
“There is potential (for the Epstein case to impact the elections), but the most likely scenario is limited and localized impact,” she told People’s Gazette. “Midterms (as midterm elections are called in the US) are decided in specific districts and states, and the average voter consumes narrative, not millions of pages,” he said.
In Adriana’s assessment, both Democrats and Republicans are at risk of political exhaustion with the recent revelations, but the immediate effect tends to fall more heavily on those in power – in this case, the Republicans.
“Both parties are at risk of wear and tear (because of the revelations), but the immediate political cost tends to fall more on those who govern, because the discussion also turns on execution”, explains Melo.
For Alexandre Pires, professor of International Relations and Economics at Ibmec-SP, “the Epstein case has been circulating for many years, which reduces the emotional impact on the electorate. But the amount of files released now may contain unknown material that can be exploited electorally.”
According to the professor, the scandal hit the American establishment broadly.
“The Epstein case cast suspicion on the entire spectrum of the American political and economic elite, such was Epstein’s network of contacts,” he said. He explains that “the (electoral) damage will be greater in the party that has important figures who come to be seen as Epstein’s accomplices.”
