Epstein files: The arrests and the resignations

Al Jazeera breaks down all the arrests and resignations since the second part of the Epstein files were made public.Published On 24 Feb 2026Peter Mandelson, the former diplomat, minister, and adviser to multiple Labour Party prime ministers in the United Kingdom, was arrested on Monday on charges linked to allegedly confidential information that he shared with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.Mandelson, whom the current British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had appointed the UK’s ambassador to the United States in 2025 before sacking him over the Epstein revelations, is the latest major public figure who has either been arrested or sacked, or had to resign or apologise publicly for their association with the late sex offender.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Files reveal Epstein was offered chance to buy US Pentagon, FBI buildingslist 2 of 4UK ex-prince leaves police station after arrest related to Epstein fileslist 3 of 4Peter Mandelson arrested amid Epstein files falloutlist 4 of 4Australian PM backs removal of ex-Prince Andrew from succession lineend of listHe was released on bail late on Monday, just days after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly Prince Andrew – was also arrested and then released on bail over alleged crimes linked to his relationship with Epstein.Here’s a breakdown of various people who have faced known public consequences for their connection to Epstein after the release of three million documents and emails by the US Department of Justice in recent weeks:Royalty, politicians and diplomatsAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorFormer prince and member of the British royal familyAndrew Mountbatten Windsor, younger brother of the UK’s King Charles, after getting bail following his arrest on February 19, 2026 [Phil Noble/Reuters]Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, had long been linked with Epstein, with the British tabloid press uncovering some aspects of their relationship.Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein of trafficking her for sex to Mountbatten-Windsor multiple times when she was a minor, had filed a case in 2015. She said the then-prince sexually abused her in Epstein’s properties.Mountbatten-Windsor settled Giuffre’s case in 2022, paying her, but has refused to accept any wrongdoing.But recently released files have amplified the pressure on the British government and monarchy to act against him. One photo, for instance, shows Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman – whose age cannot be determined – on the floor.In recent months, the royal family has stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal and military titles. And on February 19, he was arrested for misconduct in public office when he was the special representative for trade and investment – he allegedly shared confidential documents with Epstein, per some of the files released.Sarah FergusonFormer wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and duchess of YorkSarah Ferguson, left, a nd the ex-Prince Andrew, leave St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, on March 31, 2024 [Hollie Adams/ AFP]Emails released by the Justice Department revealed that Ferguson maintained contact withEpstein long after his 2008 conviction. Ferguson is the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who also had ties to Epstein. Ferguson was in contact with Epstein regarding her business while he was in prison for soliciting sex from a minor.The correspondence also indicates that Epstein made travel arrangements for her, and she visited his residence with her two daughters.Ferguson’s charity trust, Sarah’s Trust, has shut down on its own for the foreseeable future.Peter MandelsonFormer British ambassadorPolice lead Peter Mandelson to a waiting car upon his arrest on February 23, 2026 [Screenshot via Reuters]Mandelson was arrested on February 23 and later released on bail. He is accused of sharing sensitive trade-related government documents with Epstein.The British politician resigned from the Labour Party in early February and later stepped down from the House of Lords as his emails with Epstein became public.On February 6, police searched two properties associated with Mandelson as part of a misconduct inquiry tied to those connections.In one 2008 email exchange, when Epstein said he had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for sex trafficking, Mandelson replied: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened. I can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain.”In September, Prime Minister Keir Starmer removed Mandelson from his post as the UK ambassador to Washington after the then-surfaced communications suggested a closer association with Epstein than he had previously disclosed.Mette-MaritCrown princess of NorwayNorway’s Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra attend the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, December 10, 2025 [Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB/via Reuters]The wife of Crown Prince Haakon – who is heir to the throne – Mette-Marit had a close friendship with Epstein. The latest Epstein files include hundreds of emails that they exchanged, many about meeting up.She stayed at Epstein’s Palm Beach house in his absence and kept up their relationship even after Epstein’s first conviction.Unrelated to Epstein, the crown princess’s son, Marius Borg Hoiby, is currently on trial in Oslo for 38 charges of rape.Under growing public pressure, Mette-Marit has issued a public apology for her long association with Epstein.Thorbjorn JaglandFormer prime minister of Norway and former secretary-general of the Council of EuropeThorbjorn Jagland looks on at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 6, 2019 [Ludovic Marin/AFP]Jagland, also the former chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, has been charged with “aggravated corruption”, and Norwegian authorities have raided his properties as part of the corruption investigation into his connections to Epstein.Multiple documents and emails that were released show that Jagland and his family visited Epstein’s residences, with travel expenses all covered by Epstein. Other emailsshow that Epstein attempted to arrange a meeting between Jagland and Russian President Vladimir Putin.Mona Juul and Terje Rod-LarsenNorwegian diplomatsMona Juul, right, and her husband Terje Rod-Larsen sing a carol during the annual Norwegian Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square, London, Thursday, December 6, 2018 [Matt Dunham/AP Photo]The couple, both venerated Norwegian diplomats, are now under a corruption investigation by Norwegian police after reports that Epstein left them millions of dollars in his will.They are widely seen as having played an important role in facilitating the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.Amid the latest revelations, 65-year-old Juul has resigned as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq. She has been placed on administrative leave, and the Norwegian government has withdrawn her security clearance.Her husband, former diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, ran a think tank called the International Peace Institute (IPI) – he resigned in 2020 amid growing scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. In the released Epstein files, he describes the convicted sex trafficker as his “best friend”. According to reporting by Aftenposten, Norway’s largest newspaper, the IPI – under Rod-Larsen – brought in young women from Eastern Europe as interns: Their photos were then shared with Epstein.Juul has been charged with aggravated corruption, while Rod-Larsen faces charges of contributing to aggravated corruption.Miroslav LajcakFormer president of the UN General Assembly and former security adviser to Slovakia’s prime ministerMiroslav Lajcak at Lancaster House in London, England, on December 13, 2021 [Leon Neal/Getty Images]Lajack resigned from his position as national security adviser to the Slovakian prime minister amid growing criticism over his correspondence with Epstein, uncovered in the released files.In their email exchanges, a coordinator arranged for Lajack to meet with Epstein on several occasions. Lajack also shared his family’s vacation itinerary with Epstein once. Epstein arranged tickets to a Las Vegas show for Lajack’s family.Jack LangFormer French cultural ministerFormer French Culture Minister Jack Lang during the photocall of the 29th ‘Ceremonie des Lumieres’ cinema awards ceremony at the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris on January 18, 2026 [AFP]French financial crimes prosecutors have opened an investigation into Jack Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, over suspected laundering of proceeds linked to aggravated tax fraud, according to The Washington Post. The probe follows reporting by French investigative outlet Mediapart detailing Lang’s close association with Jeffrey Epstein.In one email, Lang thanks Epstein for hosting him on a trip. In another exchange, they make plans to meet in Marrakech.Lang stepped down as head of the Arab World Institute after being summoned by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which supervises the Paris-based cultural organisation.Industry leaders and academicsBrad KarpLawyer, former chairman of law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & GarrisonKarp stepped down as the longtime chairman of his law firm after newly disclosed emails exposed his ties to Epstein.The documents include a 2015 message in which Karp expressed gratitude for what he described as a “once-in-a-lifetime” evening hosted by Epstein. Epstein responded that Karp was “always welcome” and said there would be “many many nights of unique talents”, adding he would invite him again.Karp’s son, David, who at the time was attending Cornell University, also had an exchange with Epstein in 2016. He went on to say: “This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I can’t thank you enough for arranging this meeting.”Sultan Ahmed bin SulayemFormer DP World chair and CEOEpstein and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Emirati businessman and former chairman and group CEO of DP World, cooking together in this undated handout image from the Epstein estate released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, DC, US, on December 18, 2025 [Reuters]Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was the chairman and chief executive officer of DP World Limited, one of the largest logistics companies in the world. He stepped down after thousands of emails with Epstein surfaced.The email exchanges, continuing well after Epstein completed his first jail sentence and was a convicted sex offender, include lurid details of their friendship.In one 2013 email, Epstein says, “All I know for sure, is that you are one of my most trusted friends in every sense of the word, you have never let me down, not once, not half of once. and I greatly appreciate the time we spend together.” Sulayem responds: “Thank you my friend, I am off the sample a fresh 100% female Russian at my yacht (sic)”.DP World announced on February 13 that Sulayem had resigned, effective immediately.David A RossFormer chair of the master’s program at School of Visual ArtsRoss, a prominent figure in the contemporary art world, resigned as chair of the master’s program in art practice at New York’s School of Visual Arts after ARTnews revealed his friendship with Epstein.In a 2009 email exchange, Ross appeared to support Epstein’s proposal to fund an exhibition titled “Statutory”, featuring images of “girls and boys ages 14–25” portrayed to look older or younger than their actual age.In another email from 2015, Ross said, “It is depressing to see how you are once again being dragged through the mud. I’m still proud to call you a friend. I know you are strong.”Kathy RuemmlerFormer chief of legal office at Goldman SachsFormer White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler listens as then-President Barack Obama speaks at an installation ceremony for FBI Director James Comey at FBI Headquarters, in Washington, DC, October 28, 2013 [Charles Dharapak/AP Photo]Ruemmler has resigned as chief legal officer and general counsel at Goldman Sachs following months of scrutiny over her friendly exchanges with Epstein.Emails from September 2014 show Ruemmler discussing the potential replacement of Attorney General Eric Holder at the Department of Justice, a role for which she was widely considered a leading contender. She served as White House counsel to then-President Barack Obama.The latest document release also revealed that after leaving the White House, Ruemmler received gifts from Epstein, including a Hermes handbag and a spa day at a Four Seasons hotel.Joanna RubinsteinFormer UNHCR Sweden chairRubinstein stepped down after the recently unsealed documents revealed she visited Epstein on his private island in 2012 with her partner and children.In an email, she thanked him for “a wonderful lunch and an afternoon in paradise”.Thomas PritzkerFormer executive chairman Hyatt HotelsUS billionaire Tom Pritzker laughs at the start of a media briefing for Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto, not pictured, at the US ambassador’s residence in Tokyo on March 7, 2024, after Yamamoto was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize on March 5 [Richard A Brooks/AFP]Pritzker resigned from his post as the executive chairman of his family hotel company after holding the post for almost 20 years.The latest batch of documents released by the Justice Department includes a number of emails that Pritzker exchanged with Epstein and Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.Some of the messages involve Pritzker and Epstein, sometimes via their assistants, discussing plans to meet for dinner.Correspondence between the two men continued even after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to soliciting prostitution from a minor, the files released by the government show.Thomas Magnani and Letty Moss-SalentijnColumbia University professorsStudents sit on the front steps of Low Memorial Library on the Columbia University campus in New York City, February 10, 2023 [Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo]The Columbia University professors were investigated after the emails surfaced in late January, suggesting that they helped Epstein’s then-girlfriend gain admission mid-programme. She was admitted as a transfer student in 2012 from Belarus.Columbia University, in a notice, said it was cutting all ties to Mangiani and revoking Moss-Salentijn’s administrative duties. She cannot be dismissed as a professor because of her tenure with the institution.