FBI Director Kash Patel flatly denied that Jeffrey Epstein had trafficked young women to anyone besides himself, in direct contradiction of the conspiracy theories he had once promoted himself.
The embattled law enforcement official appeared Tuesday morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he faced questions about his leadership tenure so far. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) asked him about the case against the late sex offender, who died in August 2019 in jail while awaiting trial on additional sex trafficking charges.
"You've seen most of the files," Kennedy said, referring to court records and evidence related to the Epstein case. "Who, if anyone, did Epstein traffic these young women to besides himself?"
Patel made numerous claims during Joe Biden's presidency that Epstein kept a client list that the administration refused to release and called on House Republicans at the time to demand the files, but he and Attorney General Pam Bondi angered many of President Donald Trump's supporters by stating in July that no new information would be released about the case.
"Himself," Patel answered. "There is no credible information, none – if there were, I would bring a case yesterday – that he trafficked to other individuals, and the information we have, again, is limited."
"So the answer is no one?" the senator said.
"For the information that we have," Patel replied, "in the case files."
Kennedy warned Patel that "the issue's not going to go away," and he urged the FBI director to do more to reassure the public.
"I think you’re gonna have to do more to satisfy the American people’s understandable curiosity in that regard," Kennedy said.
Social media users pointed out that Patel's claims didn't match up with his conspiracy theories or the public record.
"Then why is Ghislaine Maxwell in prison?" asked Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia delegated convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor.
"Patel is still evading Epstein files questions by focusing on grand jury testimony without acknowledging that there is much, much more in the FBI’s sole possession that it could release without a judicial order," said former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa.
"Then why was Ghislaine jailed?" repeated documentary film producer Heidi Reinberg. "Is Patel saying that while she was trafficking, Epstein *wasn't*?"
"Kash Patel just said there’s no evidence of Jeff Epstein trafficking young girls on behalf of other people — which we know isn’t true," posted Democratic strategist Mike Nellis. "Why is he lying? Is it because he’s covering for Donald Trump and knows he’ll get a pardon if he’s charged with perjury?"