National security adviser Miroslav Lajcak issued a statement denying any wrongdoing and condemning Epstein’s crimes. He described the exchange as informal and light-hearted and without any real substance, but said he would offer his resignation so the situation would not be used to attack the prime minister.

“Not because of having done anything criminal or unethical in my actions, but I don’t want him (Fico) to bear the political costs for something that’s unrelated to his decisions,” he said.

Fico announced in a video message on Facebook on Saturday that he had accepted Lajcak’s resignation, calling the adviser an incredible source of experience in diplomacy and foreign policy.

The US Justice Department on Friday published millions of new files related to Epstein, including a text exchange from October 2018, when Lajcak was Slovakia’s foreign minister.