FBI Director Kash Patel stunned lawmakers on Tuesday with a statement that left some Republicans confused and critics crying cover-up. Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patel claimed the FBI has “no credible information, none” that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked young women to anyone other than himself.
“Himself,” Patel said firmly when Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana asked who Epstein trafficked the women to besides himself.
Kennedy looked surprised. “So the answer is no one?” he asked.
Patel replied, “For the information that we have. In the case files.”
The exchange marked a sharp shift for Patel. For years, he suggested Epstein had a hidden client list of powerful figures and even accused the Biden administration of concealing it. In July, Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi angered the public when they said no further information about the Epstein case would be released.
This week, Patel stuck to his line. “There is no credible information,” he repeated. “If there were, I would bring a case tomorrow.”
Many people aren’t convinced.
“Then why is Ghislaine Maxwell in prison?” asked Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia lawmaker convicted for storming the Capitol on January 6.
It is a fair question. Maxwell was convicted of federal crimes tied to trafficking minors for Epstein, including arranging encounters with others. If Epstein had no clients, what exactly was Maxwell facilitating?
Former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa noted that Patel’s testimony focused only on grand jury records. She argued the FBI holds far more information that could be released without a court order.
Documentary filmmaker Heidi Reinberg was more blunt. “Is Patel saying that while she was trafficking, Epstein wasn’t?”
The hearing quickly exploded across social media.
“Kash Patel just said there’s no evidence Epstein trafficked girls for other people, which we know isn’t true,” wrote Democratic strategist Mike Nellis. “Why is he lying? Is it because he’s covering for Donald Trump and expecting a pardon if he gets charged with perjury?”
For many, this no longer feels like conspiracy theory. The public has already seen testimony, convictions, and court documents. There was a network. There were flights. There were names. Yet Patel insists the FBI has nothing credible to act on.
Even Kennedy appeared doubtful. “This issue is not going to go away,” he warned. “You will need to do more to satisfy the American people’s very real concerns.”
That concern has now turned into anger. Patel’s testimony only added fuel to it.
The FBI and Justice Department already claimed in a July memo that there is “no credible evidence” Epstein trafficked minors to powerful people or blackmailed them. They say the case is closed and the client list never existed.
The public does not believe it.
