FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that investigators have found "no credible information" that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein trafficked underage girls to anyone other than himself, a declaration likely to deepen tensions with Republican constituencies that have long speculated about Epstein's ties to powerful figures.
Under questioning from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., Patel said: "There is no credible information—none. If there were, I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals." He acknowledged the bureau continues to seek more leads and that the public has been invited to come forward with information, but he also pointed to legal limits imposed by earlier plea deals in Florida that left investigators with only "limited search warrants" from 2006 and 2007. Patel added that he was not asserting that others were not involved, only that the FBI has not uncovered evidence that meets its standard for prosecution.
The exchange highlighted the challenge Patel faces in addressing a politically fraught case that has become a recurring theme for members of the MAGA movement and others who question the extent of Epstein's network. It was part of a broader, often contentious hearing in which Patel sought to defend the bureau's record while facing repeated Democratic accusations that he has politicized the FBI and used his office to target political opponents.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., accused Patel of breaking promises made during his confirmation that he would not purge the bureau for political reasons, saying, "I'm not going to mince words: you lied to us." Patel replied that officials who have been fired "failed to meet the needs of the FBI and uphold their constitutional duties," and he declined to discuss specifics because of pending litigation. Three of the five senior officials dismissed last month have filed a lawsuit describing the terminations as "likely illegal," one of them Brian Driscoll, a former acting director who oversaw parts of the Jan. 6 investigation.
Patel used the hearing to outline law-enforcement priorities including combating violent crime and disrupting fentanyl flows, and he touted what he described as quick investigative work after last week's killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus. Patel said the FBI arrested a 22-year-old suspect within 33 hours and described that as a model of "historic speed." He confirmed the bureau is interviewing more than 20 people who participated in an online Discord chat with Tyler Robinson, the man accused in the shooting. Patel did not fully address questions about an initial erroneous post implying a suspect was already in custody or the August firing of the former head of the FBI's Salt Lake City field office, whose jurisdiction covered the campus where the shooting occurred.
Republicans used portions of the hearing to point to what they described as an increase in threats and political violence and to blame the left for the rise in attacks. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said "there can be no unity between good and evil," arguing for a partisan framing of recent violence. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., recounted murders of state lawmakers and asked Patel whether data on shooters' ages or an assault-weapons ban could be part of solutions; Patel declined to endorse specific legislation but said he would engage with Congress on ways to prevent shootings.
Democrats also raised concerns that Patel's tenure has enabled retribution against former officials. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., pointed to Patel's 2023 book, Government Gangsters, and said multiple people named in it had since faced adverse actions. Patel rejected the notion that he maintained an "enemies list." Tensions escalated into heated exchanges and shouted back-and-forths with several senators, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who accused Patel of causing "generational destruction" at the bureau.
The hearing took on additional salience when Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., pressed Patel on who authorized the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security facility shortly after a Justice Department meeting with her. Patel said the transfer was a decision of the Bureau of Prisons, not the FBI, leading to an acrimonious exchange about transparency and the administration's handling of high-profile prosecutions.
Patel said the FBI will disclose "everything we are legally permitted to do so" and reiterated an appeal for witnesses to step forward with information related to the Epstein matter. He is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for further questioning about his handling of the Kirk investigation and his management of the FBI.
The hearing underscored the competing pressures on the FBI director: responding to politically charged questions about past prosecutions and elite connections, defending recent personnel decisions that have drawn legal challenges, and maintaining the bureau's operational responsibilities amid heightened threats against lawmakers and public figures.