Epstein storm jolts Europe, barely rattles US
• With only one conviction in US, legislators accuse justice dept of dragging its feet
• Most Americans now find leaders ‘untrustworthy’
• Australian PM says referendums ‘hard to pass’ after Andrew’s arrest
WASHINGTON: The arrest of former prince Andrew has underlined the striking contrast between Europe, where high-profile, powerful people are being held to account over their links to Jeffrey Epstein, and the United States, where the fallout has been limited.
Only one person has been arrested or convicted in the United States in connection with the activities of the late sex offender — Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and accomplice.
Epstein cultivated a global network of powerful politicians, business executives, academics and celebrities — many of whom have been tainted by their association with him.
A number of prominent Americans — from former president Bill Clinton to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates — have had their reputations damaged by their friendships with Epstein, but no one other than Maxwell has faced legal consequences.
A top US Justice Department official suggested recently that no prosecutions may be forthcoming. “I can’t talk about any investigations, but I will say the following, which is that in July, the Department of Justice said that we had reviewed the files, the Epstein files, and there was nothing in there that allowed us to prosecute anybody,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN earlier this month.
That explanation has not satisfied many US lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, who accuse the Trump Justice Department of dragging its feet.
“The UK has officially done more to prosecute Epstein predators than our own government. Shameful,” Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, said on X.
Senator Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, blamed the lack of accountability in the US squarely on Trump, who also was a close friend of Epstein and moved in the same social circles in Florida and New York.
“Countries across the world are holding their Epstein class accountable,” Gallego said on X. “It isn’t happening in America because we have a pedo protector in the Oval Office running a government cover-up for him and his friends.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 53 per cent Americans say the Epstein files “lowered their trust in the country’s political and business leaders”, while 69pc told pollsters the Epstein files “show that powerful people in the US are rarely held accountable for their actions”.
Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie welcomed prince Andrew’s arrest but said “now we need justice in the US”.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese played down the chance of a vote to remove the British monarch as Australia’s head of state following the arrest of former prince Andrew.
“I’m a republican but we had a referendum during the last term. Referendums are hard to pass in Australia,” Albanese said when asked in an interview with The Guardian whether Australia should reassess its ties with the monarchy.
Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2026
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