At FBI Director Kash Patel’s Senate judiciary hearing on Tuesday, the controversy around the Epstein files — which has divided those who are demanding more answers from the government about the late convicted sex offender and those, like Donald Trump, who claim it’s “a dead issue” — proved inescapable.

Patel first clashed with lawmakers about his handling of the investigation into the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk last week, with particular questions about his premature announcement of an individual in custody who, along with a second subject, was later released after investigators determined they had no connection to the shooting.

But the topic of senators’ questions quickly changed to Jeffrey Epstein.

When asked by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., “Who, if anyone, did Epstein traffic these young women to besides himself?” Patel said the FBI had “no credible information” that Epstein trafficked people to anyone other than himself.

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Sen. Whitehouse reacts to Kash Patel testifying before Judiciary Committee September 16, 2025 / 05:16

“If there were, I’d bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals,” Patel said.

Patel said prior administrations had sat on the files, and he blamed his limited ability to speak publicly on the subject on Alex Acosta, who was labor secretary in Trump’s first administration and the prosecutor of Epstein’s 2006 case in Florida. Acosta signed off on Epstein’s plea deal — characterized by Patel on Tuesday as a “get-out-of-jail free card” — that allowed him to avoid prosecution and resulted in “limited search warrants” that, Patel said, continue to cloud transparency into Epstein’s actions.

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“We will release everything we are legally permitted to do so,” Patel added.

“I strongly encourage you to do that, Kash. This issue’s not going to go away,” Kennedy said, adding, “I think you’re going to have to do more to satisfy the American people’s understandable curiosity in that regard.”

After Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., harshly criticized Patel for firing experienced FBI employees as part of political retribution, he also grilled him about Epstein.

In a rare display of bipartisan alignment, Blumenthal followed Kennedy’s line of questioning and asked Patel if he could “commit to make public the Epstein files that have so far not been released.” Patel affirmed he will give Congress what is legally permitted to the maximum extent of law.