Thorbjørn Jagland

Thorbjørn Jagland is a Norwegian politician who was prime minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, later served as foreign minister, led the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, and was secretary general of the Council of Europe. Jeffrey Epstein hosted him and members of his family at his properties in New York, Paris and Palm Beach between 2011 and 2018 and mentioned him to Larry Summers, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Kathryn Ruemmler and Steve Bannon, in most cases as the head of the Nobel Peace Prize. After the Justice Department released its Epstein records, Norway's economic crime authority, Økokrim, opened an aggravated corruption investigation of Jagland on February 5, 2026; the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers waived his immunity on February 11, and after searches of his properties on February 12 he became formally a suspect. He denies the charges.¹²³⁴⁵

Offices

Jagland was prime minister from 1996 to 1997. He chaired the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, the period in which it awarded the peace prize to Barack Obama in 2009 and the European Union in 2012, and for part of that time was simultaneously secretary general of the Council of Europe, the human rights body based in Strasbourg. In 2014 Epstein told Gates that Jagland "had been reelected as head of the Council of Europe"; Gates answered, "That is good," and asked, "I guess his peace prize committee job is also up in the air?"¹²

Epstein's Guest

Jagland appears hundreds of times in the released records. According to reporting on the files, he was brought into Epstein's circle by the Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, who had helped broker the Oslo Accords. In 2012 Epstein wrote to Summers: "head of the nobel peace prize staying with me, if you have any interest." In 2013 he told Branson that Jagland would be staying with him in September and that "if you are there, you might find him interesting." In 2015 he wrote to Ruemmler, the former White House Counsel: "head of nobel peace prize coming to visit, want to join?" In September 2018 he wrote to Bannon: "donalds head would explode if he knew you were now buds with the guy who on monday will decide the nobel peace prize," adding, "I told him next year it should be you when we settle china." Epstein described Jagland as "not bright" but as someone who offered a "unique perspective," and elsewhere called him "the Nobel big shot."¹⁵

On September 7, 2016, arranging a meeting between Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, and Tom Pritzker, Epstein told Churkin: "also thorbjorn jagland will be staying with me."⁶ On June 13, 2019, three weeks before Epstein's arrest, a calendar notice routed to his assistant Lesley Groff read: "need Thorbjorn Jagland to confirm dinner on June 20th."⁷

Økokrim stated that between 2011 and 2018 Jagland or members of his family repeatedly used Epstein's apartments in Paris and New York and stayed at his Palm Beach property, and that "For at least one of these private vacations, travel expenses for six adults appear to have been covered by Mr. Epstein." It said it was examining whether such benefits could amount to "passive bribery."⁵

The Council of Europe Inquiry and Waiver

Following press reports in November 2025, Secretary General Alain Berset ordered an informal internal administrative inquiry, conducted in November and December 2025 and concluded in January 2026. "Following the revelations of November 2025, I took all measures that I considered necessary to protect the integrity and reputation of the Council of Europe," Berset said. He recommended that member states waive Jagland's immunity: "This would allow the Norwegian justice system to do its work and Mr Jagland, if prosecuted, to defend himself." On a Norwegian request dated February 8, 2026, the Ministers' Deputies of the 46 member states, acting under Article 19 of the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe, waived his immunity "in respect of acts performed in his official capacity and within the limits of his authority," noting that under Article 39(2) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations immunity continues after a secretary general leaves office, and that "Immunity is granted not for personal benefit but to safeguard the independent exercise of official functions." Berset also referred the matter to the Council's Directorate of Internal Oversight and announced a review of its governance practices.³

The Økokrim Investigation

Økokrim opened its investigation on February 5, 2026, on suspicion of aggravated corruption, examining "whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position."²⁴ On February 12 investigators searched his residence in the Frogner district of Oslo and properties in Risør and Rauland. The agency's director, Pål Lønseth, said: "Økokrim cannot comment on any potential seizures. The investigation will now take its course." Jagland's lawyer, Anders Brosveet of the Elden firm, said: "As an automatic consequence of the search, Jagland now has formal status as a suspect," and that "Jagland wants to contribute to the case being thoroughly investigated, and the next step is that he will appear for questioning at Økokrim." The firm told CNN that Jagland was "charged with aggravated corruption" and "denies all charges." The status Brosveet described is that of a formal suspect (siktet). Jagland had earlier described his Epstein contacts as part of normal diplomatic activity; he told Aftenposten in February 2026 that he had shown "poor judgement."¹²⁵

On February 9, 2026 Økokrim also named the diplomat Mona Juul a suspect in aggravated corruption and her husband, Rød-Larsen, a suspect in complicity; Juul's lawyer said she did not recognize herself in the allegation, and Rød-Larsen's lawyer said he expected the case to be dismissed.⁴