The latest tranche of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice has caused a stir in the international community. Foreign governments, companies, universities and cultural institutions are investigating those with links to the notorious sex criminal.,Powerful figures around the world have been forced to resign from influential positions amid revelations that they were part of Epstein’s network, and a member of the British royal family has been arrestedpresumably about his dealings with the disgraced financier.
The United States, however, doesn’t seem to care much.
It should be one of the most consequential sex and criminal scandals in American history, but many of those linked to Epstein are surviving with almost no consequences. President donald trump — an old friend of Epstein whose name supposedly appears in the files more than a million times — and other figures working within or linked to his administration appear to not only be above the fray, but also enjoy the protection of the American justice system.
Last week, the Attorney General Pamela Bondi appeared before the House Judiciary Committeewhere he three times refused to recognize a group of survivors sitting in the courtroom, who claimed they had not been granted the opportunity to meet with the attorney general despite their requests. Bondi declined to answer questions about the Justice Department’s failure to open investigations into possible co-conspirators and dismissed investigators’ questions about the department’s careless handling of sensitive victim information and excessive redaction of potentially incriminating information.
The White House also ignored questions about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who, although not involved in any crime, was caught in a blatant lie about the extent of his dealings with Epstein. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt abruptly cut short a news conference after a reporter asked her if the administration would continue to support Lutnick. “Secretary Lutnick remains a very important member of President Trump’s team, and the president fully supports the secretary,” Leavitt said. Trump has also downplayed questions about Lutnick and other administration-linked figures in the files.
But outside the borders of the United States, Epstein’s ghost threatens to topple governments and provoke a wave of resignations in the public and private sectors.
In the United Kingdom, the first Prince Andrew – now citizen Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after being stripped of his titles in 2025 – had been arrested by British authorities in Norfolk, England, this week on suspicion of “misconduct in public office,” suggesting the charges will be related to new evidence that he may have transferred confidential government reports to Epstein while representing the kingdom as a trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor had already been evicted from the royal “lodge” shared with his ex-wife Sarah Furgeson, the former Duchess of York, who was also revealed to have a financial relationship with Epstein earlier this month. Mountbatten-Windsor settled a civil lawsuit in 2022 brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell of trafficking her to the former prince and other men when she was a teenager.
In a statement after the sentencing, King Charles III, Mountbatten-Windsor’s older brother, wrote that authorities have the royals’ “full and sincere support and cooperation” throughout what he considers a “full, fair and adequate process by which this matter is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.”
“Let me say it clearly: the law must take its course,” he added. “As this process continues, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on this matter. In the meantime, my family and I will continue to do our duty and service to all of you.”
british prime minister Keir StarmerMeanwhile, he faces calls for his own resignation and a possible no-confidence vote over his relationship with Peter Mandelson, a prominent Labor Party figure who was chosen to serve as US ambassador under the Starmer government. Questions about the extent to which Starmer was aware of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein arose after newly posted emails revealed that the two men had joked about Epstein’s relationships with young women and that Mendelson may have provided Epstein with confidential government emails containing privileged financial information.
Two senior officials in Starmer’s administration resigned in the face of the scandal; Mandelson resigned from the Labor Party this month after being fired from his embassy last year, and authorities are exploring a criminal investigation into his conduct. While Starmer insists that Mandelson misled him about his links to Epstein, in the opinion of the public and UK politicians, the responsibility lies with him.
The consequences are also being felt in other nations. Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit is in trouble after emails revealed she had borrowed one of Epstein’s Palm Beach properties in 2013. Norway’s former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland has also been caught up in the scandal. Last Thursday, Thorbjørn was accused of corruption by Norwegian authorities in relation to Epstein, after being stripped of his diplomatic immunity earlier this week.
Jack Lang, former Minister of Culture of France, recently I’m sorry from his position as president of the prestigious Arab World Institute in Paris. In Slovakia, a national security adviser to Prime Minister Robert Fico low earlier this month. A Swedish UN official I’m sorry after documents revealed a visit to the island by Epstein. Several other countries, including Poland and Lithuania, have opened investigations into possible trafficking of girls from their nations.
Last Friday, DP World Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, who was found to be one of the names of possible Epstein accomplices whose name was redacted in the files after a review by parliamentarians, assumed from his position at the top of the Emirati international exporter.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who pushed to have the names of Bin Sulayem and five others removed, wrote in X After Bin Sulayem resigned, he said he and other politicians “would not rest until the elite were held accountable to the Epstein class.”
But in the United States, the Justice Department has steadfastly refused to conduct further criminal investigations into Epstein’s possible accomplices or participants in his trafficking network. Resignations have been few, and powerful figures with ties to Epstein, from former President Bill Clinton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates to Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, appear to have received cover under Trump and his administration’s repeated insistence that the scandal is a “hoax” and that Americans should focus their attention elsewhere.
As the international community mobilizes to excise the cancer of Epstein’s crimes from its public institutions, Americans can only watch from afar and lament the decay of what was once a model justice system.
