Law enforcement agencies in at least five European countries say the U.S. Justice Department has failed to respond to formal requests for assistance in investigating the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's international network, according to officials who spoke with the Washington Post.
Officials in Poland, Norway, Latvia, the United Kingdom and Germany told the newspaper that requests for mutual legal assistance — the formal process allowing foreign investigators to obtain evidence, information and testimony from the United States — have gone unanswered. The requests come a year after the first batch of Epstein investigative files was released, documents that exposed his relationships with influential figures worldwide, including President Donald Trump.
The Justice Department disputed any suggestion it is stonewalling. A spokesperson told the Telegraph last month that the department "has not refused to assist any jurisdiction investigating potential criminal conduct related to Jeffrey Epstein" and "remains committed to cooperating with all jurisdictions pursuing potential crimes."
Officials from the five nations describe a different reality. Poland's National Prosecutor's Office said the Justice Department has not responded to a request sent in April. In Norway, state prosecutor Marianne Bender said her office remains in communication with DOJ officials but "they have not at this time approved the request." Latvia's state police said they have sent "several requests" and "no responses have yet been received." Britain's formal request followed informal talks that DOJ had already failed to advance, according to the Times of London. German federal police say they remain in contact with the FBI without resolution.
The stakes are highest in Norway, where three prominent figures face corruption charges connected to their relationships with Epstein: former diplomats Terje Rød-Larsen and Mona Juul, and former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland. All deny wrongdoing. Rød-Larsen's attorney said Norwegian prosecutors have specifically sought additional records from DOJ and investigative steps involving the International Peace Institute in New York, where his client previously served as president. Bender called the lack of a U.S. response "very unfortunate for the Norwegian investigation."
No charges have resulted from the files' release in the United States, but the revelations have prompted international investigations of Epstein's networks. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, which processes such requests, has faced documented operational problems for years. A 2021 inspector general report found it plagued by high staff turnover, outdated technology and oversized caseloads. A former DOJ attorney who worked in the office said such requests are "inherently complex," particularly when they involve voluminous records or contested redactions.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers continue pressing DOJ for more transparency domestically, saying Epstein-related documents remain missing or unnecessarily redacted, even after Congress voted overwhelmingly last November to compel their release.