Washington (United States) (AFP) – Jeffrey Epstein cultivated a global network of politicians, top business executives, academics, and celebrities, many of whom have been severely tainted by association with the convicted sex offender. While high-profile figures like Britain’s former prince Andrew have been very publicly disgraced, some powerful but lesser-known names have been sacked, forced to resign, placed under investigation, or had their positions placed under review. The mere mention of someone’s name in the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice does not, in itself, imply any wrongdoing by that person. Epstein was convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor and died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors.
**Borge Brende**
The governing board of the World Economic Forum, which organizes the Davos summit, has ordered an independent review of the interactions of WEF chief Borge Brende, 60, with Epstein. Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, has acknowledged attending dinners with Epstein in New York in 2018 and 2019. He has insisted he was “completely unaware” of Epstein’s criminal activities.
**Thorbjorn Jagland**
Former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland, 75, is under police investigation on “suspicion of aggravated corruption” over his links to Epstein, which include many email exchanges unearthed from the released files. Jagland served as prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and later as secretary general of the Council of Europe. He also chaired the committee that awards the Nobel peace prize.
**Mona Juul**
Mona Juul, 66, a Norwegian diplomat who played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo accords of the early 1990s, has been suspended pending an investigation into her alleged ties to Epstein. Epstein left $10 million in his will to Juul’s two children with her husband, fellow diplomat and Oslo talks broker Terje Rod-Larsen. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Juul, currently the Norwegian envoy to Jordan, was being temporarily relieved while the investigation was underway.
**Dean Kamen**
American engineer Dean Kamen, 74, the inventor of the Segway, took a leave of absence from the board of directors of the robotics organization he founded, FIRST. The latest Epstein files release includes photos of Kamen with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking underage girls to the disgraced financier. They also include an email in which Kamen thanks Epstein for a 2013 visit to his private Caribbean island.
**Brad Karp**
American attorney Brad Karp, 66, stepped down after 18 years as the chairman of Paul Weiss, one of the most powerful corporate law firms in the United States. In emails, Karp thanked Epstein for inviting him to a 2015 dinner at his Manhattan mansion, calling it “an evening I’ll never forget.” Karp, who has said he regrets socializing with Epstein, also asked Epstein in another email if he could help get his son a job on a Woody Allen film.
**Miroslav Lajcak**
Miroslav Lajcak, 62, the Slovakian government’s national security advisor, resigned after text messages included in the Epstein files showed the two men discussing women. Lajcak was foreign minister at the time.
**Caroline Lang**
French film producer and former actor Caroline Lang, the daughter of former French culture minister Jack Lang, resigned as head of a film producers’ group following revelations of the family’s Epstein ties. Caroline Lang told French investigative website Mediapart that she and Epstein had agreed to set up a company together to buy artworks, but she did not invest any money in it. She described herself as being “incredibly naive.” Her father, Jack Lang, 86, said he was introduced to Epstein by Woody Allen about 15 years ago and had no knowledge of his crimes.
**George Mitchell**
Former US senator George Mitchell, 92, brokered the negotiations which led to the 1998 peace agreement ending three decades of conflict over British rule in Northern Ireland. Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland dropped Mitchell’s name this week from its Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice over his links with Epstein. Mitchell has previously said he regrets having met and known Epstein and that he had no knowledge of his illegal activities.
**Steve Tisch**
Steve Tisch, 76, producer of “Forrest Gump” and co-owner of the New York Giants, was connected by Epstein to multiple women, according to email exchanges between the two. Tisch acknowledged in a statement that he and Epstein had “a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments.” National Football League chief Roger Goodell said the league, which has a strict personal conduct policy, would “look at all the facts” before deciding whether to take any action against Tisch.
**Casey Wasserman**
Casey Wasserman, 51, has faced calls to step down as chairman of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games after flirtatious email exchanges between him and Maxwell emerged. Wasserman has said he “deeply regrets” the exchanges he had with Maxwell in 2003, well before Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes were public knowledge.
© 2024 AFP
