FBI Director Kash Patel faced another day of bruising questioning on Capitol Hill Wednesday, with members of the House Judiciary Committee pressing him over the bureau’s handling of the case files around Jeffrey Epstein.
Multiple representatives called out Patel for not releasing the so-called “Epstein files,” a position for which he advocated forcefully before assuming his current role. On Tuesday, Patel had testified that there was no “credible information” that Epstein’s victims had been trafficked to anyone else. On Wednesday, Patel acknowledged that he had not personally reviewed the files.
“We know these people exist in the FBI files, files that you control,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said. “I don’t know exactly who they are, but the FBI does. Have you launched any investigations into any of these people?”
“I have asked my FBI agents to review the entirety of the Epstein files and bring forth any credible information,” he replied.
Massie grills Kash Patel on his attempted coverup of Epstein files that detail additional people, including "one high profile government official," implicated in Epstein's crimes pic.twitter.com/P6olbJeUdf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 17, 2025
The FBI director maintained that his bureau had released all that they were legally allowed to when questioned by Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who argued that Patel was misleading the committee. Goldman accused Patel of “hiding the Epstein files” and being “part of the cover-up” of Epstein’s alleged crimes.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., showed a series of clips of Patel before he assumed his role atop the FBI. In the videos, Patel blasted the Biden administration for not releasing the files, insisting that the bureau had Epstein’s “black book.” Patel said the Biden administration was keeping the address book under wraps to protect individuals who were named in the files.
“In a few short months, how did you go from being a crusader for accountability and transparency with the Epstein files to being part of the conspiracy and cover-up?” Raskin asked. “The answer is simple. You said it yourself: because of who is on that list.”
Raskin to Patel: "In a few short months, how did you go from being a crusader for accountability and transparency with the Epstein files to being part of the conspiracy and coverup? The answer is simple. You said it yourself — because of who is on that list." pic.twitter.com/pPKRP7BHzy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 17, 2025
