Norwegian ambassador resigns after revelations of Epstein bequests to her children

Mona Juul resigned as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan on Feb. 9, 2026, after being suspended while investigators examined her ties to Jeffrey Epstein and revelations that Epstein’s estate included large bequests to her children. The foreign ministry announced the resignation on Sunday evening as a widening inquiry raised questions about whether Juul or her husband benefited from their contacts with the disgraced financier.

Documents in the Epstein case show the will, drawn up shortly before Epstein’s death in a New York jail in 2019, listed two bequests totaling roughly US$10 million to Juul’s children, described in some reports as $5 million to each child. Those revelations followed the release of new files that have renewed scrutiny of associates across Europe and the United States.

Norwegian investigators have said Juul “is suspected of gross corruption based on her position at the Foreign Ministry,” and that her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, is suspected of “aiding and abetting gross corruption.” Authorities have said their review will examine, among other things, whether Juul received benefits in connection with her official duties. Law-enforcement sources also carried out searches of an apartment in Oslo’s Frogner district and the home of a witness during the initial phase of the probe.

Juul had been temporarily suspended and placed on administrative leave as the ministry reviewed the implications of the files. Public biographical entries indicate her security clearance was revoked while the inquiry proceeded. Earlier reports noted that, during that period, she remained formally employed by the foreign ministry pending the outcome of the review.

In a statement to the Norwegian news agency NTB, Juul acknowledged it had been “imprecise” to describe her contact with Epstein as minimal, and said that “the contact originated in her husband's relationship with Epstein and she had no independent social or professional relationship with him.” The resignation crystallized concerns voiced by Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, who called the move appropriate and said Juul’s ties to Epstein represented a “serious lapse in judgment” that made it difficult to restore the trust necessary for the role. Eide added that the decision was “correct and necessary.”

Rød-Larsen, a former top Norwegian diplomat and architect of the Oslo peace talks, has faced pressure since the new file releases. He previously distanced himself from Epstein in 2020, describing his contact with the financier as a “serious misjudgment.” Norwegian media have reported a personal financial relationship between Rød-Larsen and Epstein, an allegation the ongoing probe is expected to examine.

The emerging controversy also touched other Norwegian public figures after portions of the Epstein files named several prominent Norwegians, prompting questions about the scope of Epstein’s ties in Oslo’s political and social circles. Investigators and the foreign ministry have so far declined to characterise the full extent of those references or to say whether additional formal charges will follow.

Juul is a seasoned diplomat and former Norwegian ambassador to the United Nations who played a role in Middle East peace efforts in the 1990s. The resignation marks a sharp turn in a career that has spanned decades of Norwegian foreign policy. For now, the priority for prosecutors and the ministry is to establish whether official duties were compromised, whether estate transfers were realized, and whether any laws governing public officials were violated. The inquiry is ongoing.