Newly released U.S. congressional documents show Jeffrey Epstein discussed potential links to senior Kremlin officials with then–Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland, raising fresh questions about the disgraced financier’s international network.
WASHINGTON / STRASBOURG | Newly disclosed documents from the U.S. House Oversight Committee reveal that Jeffrey Epstein engaged in direct email exchanges in 2018 with Thorbjørn Jagland, then the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, discussing potential connections to senior Russian government officials—including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The trove of messages, released as part of a broader congressional document dump, provides a rare glimpse into Epstein’s attempts to remain connected to high-level political actors long after his 2008 sex-crime conviction. The exchanges also cast new light on how Europe’s leading human rights organization intersected, however indirectly, with Epstein’s global network.
Epstein Sought Pathways to Kremlin Officials
In a June 24, 2018, email, Epstein suggested that Jagland “might suggest to Putin that Lavrov can get insight on talking to me.” Jagland, who served as the Council of Europe’s top official from 2009 to 2019, responded that he planned to meet with Lavrov’s assistant and would raise Epstein’s name.
“Thank you fo a lovely evening. I’ll com to un high level week,” Jagland wrote in a message marked by spelling errors. It remains unclear whether any follow-up meeting or substantive communication occurred.
Epstein also referenced past discussions with Russia’s late U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in 2017. “Churkin was great,” Epstein wrote. “He understood Trump after our conversations… he must be seen to get something, it's that simple.”
Jagland: Diplomatic Context, Not Personal Ties
Responding to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Jagland framed the interactions as routine diplomacy.
“In my work I have met a lot of people, many have put me in contact with even more. This is part of normal diplomatic activity,” he said, adding that he “strongly distances” himself from Epstein following revelations of his private life.
Jagland said his priority during that period was addressing the deteriorating U.S.–Europe relationship under President Donald Trump and preventing Russia’s potential expulsion from the Council of Europe—an action he feared would strip 144 million Russians of access to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Council of Europe declined to comment.
The newly surfaced emails appear to show Epstein continuing efforts to cultivate influence among political and diplomatic elites during Trump’s first term. In some communications, Epstein suggested he advised Russian officials on understanding Trump’s negotiating style.
The documents add to growing evidence that Epstein sought to remain plugged into international policymaking circles well after his 2008 conviction, and up until his 2019 arrest on federal sex-trafficking charges. Epstein died in federal custody in August 2019.
White House Response
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed the disclosures, asserting that the emails “prove absolutely nothing other than President Trump did nothing wrong.” Trump himself dismissed renewed attention to Epstein as an attempt by Democrats “to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown.”
This article includes updated comments from Thorbjørn Jagland.
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-- By Jasmine Thomas
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