French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has demanded an investigation into diplomat Fabrice Aidan following the revelation that the foreign affairs secretary shared a long email correspondence with late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. French media reported that Aidan had resigned from his position at the United Nations in 2013 after having been caught visiting child sex abuse material websites.
Issued on: 11/02/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Documents included in the publication of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein by the US Department of Justice, photographed on January 2, 2026. © Jon Elswick, AP
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has requested a probe after the name of a French diplomat on leave appeared in numerous emails to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"I was appalled," Barrot said on Wednesday.
In an X post late on Tuesday, he said he was referring allegations against Fabrice Aidan to the public prosecutor, and launching an internal inquiry.
The ministry described Aidan as a "principal foreign affairs secretary on leave for personal reasons and holding positions in the private sector".
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has requested a probe after the name of a French diplomat on leave appeared in numerous emails to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"I was appalled," Barrot said on Wednesday.
In an X post late on Tuesday, he said he was referring allegations against Fabrice Aidan to the public prosecutor, and launching an internal inquiry.
The ministry described Aidan as a "principal foreign affairs secretary on leave for personal reasons and holding positions in the private sector".
A mere mention in released files from the investigation into the disgraced New York financier, who died in prison in 2019 while charged with sex trafficking underage girls, does not imply wrongdoing.
But French media, after unearthing his name in the files, reported he had shared email correspondence with Epstein from 2010 to 2017.
Investigative website Mediapart late Tuesday reported that the FBI had flagged Aidan as having consulted child sexual abuse websites while he was working at the New York-based United Nations from 2006 and 2013, leading to an internal probe and his resignation.
Aidan was during that time adviser to Norway's Terje Rod-Larsen, an adviser to the UN secretary general. Norwegian police said on Monday they were investigating Rod-Larsen over his ties to Epstein.
Mediapart also reported that Aidan sent UN documents and reports to Epstein.
Epstein files special: Revelations, Redactions & Ramifications
THE WORLD THIS WEEK © FRANCE 24
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Aidan could not be immediately contacted for comment. He appeared to have deleted his Linkedin professional networking profile as of Wednesday morning.
After the UN headquarters in New York, Aidan then went on to work for the UN cultural agency UNESCO.
Energy group Engie, for whom he had been working more recently, told AFP it had let him go.
"In light of the information brought to our attention and reported in certain media, which would concern a period prior to his joining the group, Engie has decided to relieve Fabrice Aidan from his duties," it said.
The fallout of the latest Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice has led to former minister Jack Lang resigning from his position as the head of a top cultural body called the Arab World Institute.
He has however denied any wrongdoing, saying he was "shocked" that his name appeared in the statutes of an offshore company that Epstein founded in 2016.
His daughter Caroline, who allegedly owned half the shares in the company, has resigned from two positions.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
US Commerce Secretary admits Epstein island lunch as pressure mounts to resign
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday acknowledged having lunch on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012, as newly released records intensified scrutiny of his past ties to the convicted sex offender and fuelled calls for his resignation.
Issued on: 11/02/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic speak to the media in Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2025. © Piroschka Van De Wouw, Reuters
Facing growing calls for his resignation, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted Tuesday to having lunch on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012, but strenuously denied any closer relationship with the convicted sex offender.
Lutnick’s ties to Epstein have come under intense scrutiny after email exchanges included in newly released files undermined his earlier insistence that he had cut all links with the late financier back in 2005.
So far, President Donald Trump’s administration has stood by Lutnick, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the president “fully supports” him.
She added that he “remains a very important member” of Trump’s team.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender who had ties to top business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics, was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minor girls.
In a podcast last year, Lutnick recounted moving in next door to Epstein in 2005 and receiving a house tour that left him disturbed. He and his wife decided that he would “never be in the room with that disgusting person, ever again”.
Facing growing calls for his resignation, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted Tuesday to having lunch on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012, but strenuously denied any closer relationship with the convicted sex offender.
Lutnick’s ties to Epstein have come under intense scrutiny after email exchanges included in newly released files undermined his earlier insistence that he had cut all links with the late financier back in 2005.
So far, President Donald Trump’s administration has stood by Lutnick, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the president “fully supports” him.
She added that he “remains a very important member” of Trump’s team.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender who had ties to top business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics, was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minor girls.
In a podcast last year, Lutnick recounted moving in next door to Epstein in 2005 and receiving a house tour that left him disturbed. He and his wife decided that he would “never be in the room with that disgusting person, ever again”.
© France 24
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“So I was never in the room with him socially, for business or even philanthropy,” he said.
But records have emerged showing Lutnick’s plans in 2012 to meet Epstein for lunch in Little Saint James, notoriously known as “Epstein Island”.
“We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour,” Lutnick told a Senate committee hearing.
But he stressed that he was with his wife, children and nannies.
“We were on family vacation,” he said.
Asked if he saw anything untoward, Lutnick maintained that besides his family and that of another couple who were present, he only saw staff who worked for Epstein on the island.
High-profile people have come under scrutiny for visits to Little Saint James, the private redoubt in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex.
No ‘relationship’
Lutnick stressed to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday: “Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person.”
The billionaire was referring to the period starting in 2005 when he moved to a New York home where Epstein was his neighbour. He said that he met Epstein when they were both in New York.
He has come under fire from US lawmakers, however.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said Monday that “Lutnick has no business being our Commerce Secretary, and he should resign immediately”.
He added that Lutnick’s earlier denial of dealings with Epstein raises “serious concerns about his judgement and ethics”.
On Sunday, Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie also told CNN the commerce secretary “should just resign”, citing similar resignations in Great Britain.
And Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, charged in a social media post that Lutnick “has been lying about his relationship with Epstein”.
01:52
“So I was never in the room with him socially, for business or even philanthropy,” he said.
But records have emerged showing Lutnick’s plans in 2012 to meet Epstein for lunch in Little Saint James, notoriously known as “Epstein Island”.
“We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour,” Lutnick told a Senate committee hearing.
But he stressed that he was with his wife, children and nannies.
“We were on family vacation,” he said.
Asked if he saw anything untoward, Lutnick maintained that besides his family and that of another couple who were present, he only saw staff who worked for Epstein on the island.
High-profile people have come under scrutiny for visits to Little Saint James, the private redoubt in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex.
No ‘relationship’
Lutnick stressed to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday: “Over a 14-year period, I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person.”
The billionaire was referring to the period starting in 2005 when he moved to a New York home where Epstein was his neighbour. He said that he met Epstein when they were both in New York.
He has come under fire from US lawmakers, however.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said Monday that “Lutnick has no business being our Commerce Secretary, and he should resign immediately”.
He added that Lutnick’s earlier denial of dealings with Epstein raises “serious concerns about his judgement and ethics”.
On Sunday, Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie also told CNN the commerce secretary “should just resign”, citing similar resignations in Great Britain.
And Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, charged in a social media post that Lutnick “has been lying about his relationship with Epstein”.
Tech 24 © France 24
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“He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, yet we now know they were in business together,” Garcia said.
Released documents indicated the men had become investors in a firm some time after the island visit, although it is unclear if they personally engaged over the deal. They also appear to have communicated through assistants on other occasions.
Lutnick denied Tuesday that he had dinner in Epstein’s New York City home in 2011, although he acknowledged that the documents indicated a planned meeting with Epstein in May that year.
The commerce chief was also questioned about documents that suggested Epstein had an interest in meeting his nanny, but said this “had nothing to do with me”.
“I have nothing to hide, absolutely nothing,” Lutnick said.
Lutnick – a close ally of Trump’s – served as chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald before becoming US commerce secretary last year.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Democrats introduce 'Virginia's law' named for Epstein accuser to end shield for sex traffickers
Victims of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Congressional Democrats introduced a new bill on Tuesday which would eliminate the statute of limitations for adult victims and would broaden victims' legal recourse.
Issued on: 10/02/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Video by:Monte FRANCIS
"Virginia's dream was to inspire and empower survivors to come forward in a world that too often turns away from abuse and pushes it into the shadows. She wanted to bring light," said Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother.
A teary-eyed Roberts, speaking at a press conference in the US Capitol, was asked about a photograph that has been made public showing former UK prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Giuffre.
WATCH MORE‘Entitled’: UK monarchy and national security at risk over Andrew’s Epstein links
"I think he should show up in front of our Congress," Roberts responded, adding, "He has a lot of questions he needs to answer."
The Democrats' new bill would end the statute of limitations for adult victims or their survivors bringing civil suits, which would include many of Epstein's alleged victims. It broadens victims' legal recourse in additional ways, including covering applicable sex crimes occurring beyond US soil if a US court has jurisdiction.
Though Epstein died in 2019, transparency and accountability for victims of his abuse have led to oversight investigations and passage of the Epstein files law.
DOJ said it has released nearly 3.5 million pages of documents, though some files are heavily redacted. Members of Congress began reviewing unredacted files on Monday. Schumer has been calling for all the unreleased files, which he said number in the millions, to also be made public.
The House Oversight Committee interviewed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell virtually on Monday in a private deposition.
Ghislaine Maxwell refuses to answer questions from congressional Epstein committee
Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2021 for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, refused to answer questions. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are set to testify separately behind closed doors in the committee's Epstein investigation later this month.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
Victims of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Congressional Democrats introduced a new bill on Tuesday which would eliminate the statute of limitations for adult victims and would broaden victims' legal recourse.
Issued on: 10/02/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Video by:Monte FRANCIS
Sky Roberts, brother of Virginia Giuffre, speaks as survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and US lawmakers gather to introduce Virginia's Law at the Capitol in Washington, February 10, 2026. © J. Scott Applewhite, AP
01:50
Congressional Democrats introduced legislation on Tuesday that they said would eliminate the statute of limitations that has shielded sex traffickers such as the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez announced the proposal alongside Epstein victims and Virginia Giuffre's family. The proposal – Virginia's Law – is named after Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, who died by suicide last year.
The bill's fate in the Senate and House of Representatives, which are both controlled by Republicans, is unclear.
However, a bipartisan effort was successful last year to compel the Department of Justice to release all unclassified files in its Epstein investigation.
Epstein files: US Justice Dept has been 'destroyed from within', former prosecutor says
01:50
Congressional Democrats introduced legislation on Tuesday that they said would eliminate the statute of limitations that has shielded sex traffickers such as the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez announced the proposal alongside Epstein victims and Virginia Giuffre's family. The proposal – Virginia's Law – is named after Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, who died by suicide last year.
The bill's fate in the Senate and House of Representatives, which are both controlled by Republicans, is unclear.
However, a bipartisan effort was successful last year to compel the Department of Justice to release all unclassified files in its Epstein investigation.
Epstein files: US Justice Dept has been 'destroyed from within', former prosecutor says
SPOTLIGHT © FRANCE 24
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"Virginia's dream was to inspire and empower survivors to come forward in a world that too often turns away from abuse and pushes it into the shadows. She wanted to bring light," said Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother.
A teary-eyed Roberts, speaking at a press conference in the US Capitol, was asked about a photograph that has been made public showing former UK prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Giuffre.
WATCH MORE‘Entitled’: UK monarchy and national security at risk over Andrew’s Epstein links
"I think he should show up in front of our Congress," Roberts responded, adding, "He has a lot of questions he needs to answer."
The Democrats' new bill would end the statute of limitations for adult victims or their survivors bringing civil suits, which would include many of Epstein's alleged victims. It broadens victims' legal recourse in additional ways, including covering applicable sex crimes occurring beyond US soil if a US court has jurisdiction.
Though Epstein died in 2019, transparency and accountability for victims of his abuse have led to oversight investigations and passage of the Epstein files law.
DOJ said it has released nearly 3.5 million pages of documents, though some files are heavily redacted. Members of Congress began reviewing unredacted files on Monday. Schumer has been calling for all the unreleased files, which he said number in the millions, to also be made public.
The House Oversight Committee interviewed Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell virtually on Monday in a private deposition.
Ghislaine Maxwell refuses to answer questions from congressional Epstein committee
© France 24
02:02
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Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2021 for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, refused to answer questions. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are set to testify separately behind closed doors in the committee's Epstein investigation later this month.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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