FBI Director Kash Patel instructed his staff to actively combat online criticism directed at the Department of Justice's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, even when the detractors were identified as troll accounts. The directive, revealed in documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and reviewed by the Daily Mail, details an exchange from February 2026.
Patel ordered senior communications staff to respond to a negative social media post concerning the FBI's management of the Epstein files. This occurred despite an official in Patel's office, Ben Williamson, identifying the source as a troll account named 'R*tardFinder' and advising against engagement.
"This is an ‘Epstein didn’t kill himself’ bot account," Williamson informed Patel. However, Patel remained insistent, referencing a substantial number of interactions associated with the post. He questioned whether the FBI press office was sufficiently promoting the bureau's achievements and countering negative posts.
"What I asked you and your team to do is find them, and post our record year results back at them all, continuously," Patel stated. "Have they been doing that?"
Williamson then clarified that the figure Patel cited represented views, not direct responses, stating, "That's views - it's 400 responses." He further advised that responding to the troll account, whose name contained a slur, "would look bad on you."
Patel countered that the focus should be on the visibility of the FBI's accomplishments, writing, "It’s not about them, it’s about the number of views, because people see it and need to be seeing our stats."
The exchange provides a look into Patel's efforts to highlight the FBI's successes during the Trump administration, particularly through social media engagement. Neither the DOJ nor the FBI immediately responded to requests for comment on the exchange.
The Justice Department has faced ongoing scrutiny regarding its handling of the Epstein files. The Democracy Defenders Fund, an advocacy group, has submitted FOIA requests and urged the DOJ's Office of Inspector General to audit the department's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, an audit that commenced in April.
Virginia Canter, chief counsel and ethics director at the Democracy Defenders Fund, stated that the newly released documents "expose critical gaps in the DOJ’s official Epstein library release and raise serious questions about whether top officials coordinated to keep sensitive communications out of public view." The group has provided these records to the Inspector General.
According to the DDF, the DOJ has released only 3.5 million of the approximately 6 million pages it reviewed related to the Epstein files. FBI Director Patel is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for an annual FBI oversight hearing, where Democrats on the panel are expected to question him on issues including the handling of the Epstein files.