Norwegian Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny Over Epstein Connections

OSLO — Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store rejected allegations of an “unhealthy culture” within Norway’s diplomatic corps on Wednesday, as current and former cabinet ministers appeared before a parliamentary committee to address links between senior Norwegian officials and the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The hearings, conducted by the Storting’s Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, center on the Foreign Ministry’s allocation of more than 130 million kroner (approximately $13.5 million) to the International Peace Institute (IPI) between 1997 and 2018. The think tank was led by Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen from 2005 to 2020.

“There is no basis for characterizing an entire organization as having an unhealthy culture based on the actions of one or several individuals,” Store told the committee. “You cannot paint everyone with the same brush.” The Labour leader was summoned to account for his tenure as foreign minister from 2005 to 2012.

Recently disclosed documents have illuminated connections between Epstein and Rød-Larsen, as well as his wife, Mona Juul — the architects of the 1993 Oslo Accords. Both are now under investigation in Norway; Juul faces suspicion of aggravated corruption, while Rød-Larsen is being investigated for complicity in aggravated corruption. The couple denies any wrongdoing.

Eleven officials who have served as foreign minister or development aid minister since 2005 are scheduled to testify before the committee over two days.

The Epstein files have also drawn attention to ties between the convicted sex offender — who died in prison in 2019 — and Thorbjørn Jagland, a former prime minister, foreign minister, secretary general of the Council of Europe, and chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. Jagland is similarly under investigation for suspected aggravated corruption but was not summoned by parliament, as his tenure as foreign minister predates 2005 and lawmakers seek to avoid interfering with the ongoing police probe.

Former Foreign Minister Børge Brende, who stepped down as president of the World Economic Forum in February, was among those scheduled to testify Wednesday.

“The Epstein documents raise serious questions about abuse of office, a culture of accountability failures, and poor management of development aid funds,” said committee member Jonas Andersen Sayed. “This concerns public trust in the entire system. It is essential that all facts are brought to light, accountability is established, and necessary reforms are implemented.”

The parliamentary hearings themselves carry no sanctioning authority. Separately, parliament has established an independent inquiry mandated to conduct a broader examination of the case, with a final report due by January 31, 2028.

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