Democratic congressman Ro Khanna on Thursday urged Washington to “haul” powerful political and business figures before Congress after newly released US Justice Department records linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein triggered resignations, investigations and diplomatic fallout across Europe.

Khanna said that while European governments have moved to suspend, investigate or remove figures named in the January 30 disclosures who maintained ties with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, the United States was yet to impose comparable accountability on its elite.

“Britain had dethroned a prince, forced Mandelson to resign, and lost confidence in Starmer,” the Indian-American Democrat from California wrote on X, adding that he and fellow Republican Thomas Massie had pushed for the files’ release. “What was America doing to hold the Epstein class accountable? We needed to haul these powerful men before Congress.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has come under growing pressure following revelations about former UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson and his undisclosed links to convicted sex offender Epstein.

Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September after emails exposed the continued friendship. He later apologised to Epstein’s victims, saying he had believed Mandelson’s assurances that the relationship was minimal.

Mandelson, a senior Labour figure, was appointed ambassador in 2024 despite his past association with Epstein. Mandelson maintained a close relationship with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, exchanged personal messages, received payments totalling $75,000, and may have shared sensitive government information following the global financial crisis.

Mandelson denied witnessing any sexual misconduct and faced no sexual offence charges, though British police were investigating possible misconduct in public office.

Critics have warned that the Mandelson appointment could prove a defining mistake that threatened his premiership.

On Thursday, European governments grappled with the political aftershocks of the latest tranche of US Justice Department records.

France faced a parallel challenge — not only from genuine disclosures, but from what officials said was a coordinated disinformation campaign. A French government source said authorities had uncovered a pro-Russia operation falsely linking President Emmanuel Macron to Epstein using forged emails and a fake website purporting to be the French daily France-Soir.

The fabricated material was later amplified on X through accounts tied to Storm-1516, a group US authorities believed was involved in spreading disinformation during the 2024 US election campaign.

French officials stressed that Macron did not appear in any authentic Epstein files, calling the allegations “entirely false”. The counterfeit website was taken down after a complaint, though the video spreading the claims remained accessible online on Thursday.

But former culture minister Jack Lang was summoned to the foreign ministry and faced renewed calls to resign as president of the Arab World Institute. Reuters reported that Lang’s name appeared more than 600 times in the files, with emails showing he maintained contact with Epstein for years and sought favours including use of his car and private plane.

Lang said he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal past when they met and denied wrongdoing. His daughter, Caroline Lang, resigned as head of France’s Independent Production Union after it emerged she had partnered with Epstein in a company in 2016.

In Norway, the economic crime unit Økokrim opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland over suspected aggravated corruption, examining whether he received gifts, travel or loans linked to his roles as chair of the Nobel Committee and secretary general of the Council of Europe.

Oslo said it has requested the Council revoke Jagland’s immunity.

Norway also suspended its ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona Juul, after the files indicated extensive contact with Epstein after his conviction. The documents suggested Juul and her husband, diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, visited Epstein’s private island with their children, who were named as beneficiaries in a version of Epstein’s will.

In Slovakia, national security adviser Miroslav Lajčák resigned after emails revealed exchanges with Epstein concerning young women. Lajčák denied any illegal conduct but said he was stepping down to prevent political damage to the government.

The World Economic Forum confirmed it had launched an internal review into ties between its chief executive, Børge Brende, and Epstein, after emails showed the pair had met on several occasions. Brende said he regretted not investigating Epstein’s background.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His death and the gradual release of court documents continued to fuel public anger over perceived elite impunity.

Khanna’s comments reflected an argument that while Europe had imposed consequences, the United States was yet to subject its political and business leaders named in the files to scrutiny.