FBI chief Kash Patel told the U.S. Senate on Tuesday there was “no credible information” that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women or underage girls to anyone but himself, as he defended the bureau’s decision to close its review.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patel said investigative files on Epstein were limited because a U.S. attorney in Florida had improperly narrowed the scope of the original inquiry two decades ago.
“We have released all credible information,” he said.
The Justice Department’s July decision not to release further documents on Epstein angered many of President Donald Trump’s supporters, who expected new disclosures linking the financier to prominent figures.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Patel faced sharp questioning from senators, who also pressed him over his handling of the investigation into the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the firing of veteran FBI officials. Critics accused him of politicising the agency by aligning it closely with Trump, who has publicly defended Patel.
Senator Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat, said Patel had “inflicted untold damage on the FBI,” citing his premature social media post that wrongly claimed a suspect in Kirk’s killing had been arrested. The actual suspect was not detained until a day later.
Patel rejected claims of political bias, highlighting what he said were increases in arrests for violent crime and illegal gun seizures under his leadership. He also dismissed criticism of his partnership with deputy director Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and pro-Trump media figure. “I’m not going anywhere,” Patel told senators.
Two recently dismissed agents issued statements before the hearing condemning their removals, while three former senior officials filed a lawsuit alleging they were purged for being insufficiently loyal to Trump. Patel said those dismissed had “failed to meet the needs of the FBI and uphold their constitutional duties.”
The controversy underscores the political strains facing the FBI in Trump’s second term, as the bureau navigates pressure from both allies and critics over its independence and transparency.
Pakistan and Oman called for restraint and diplomacy on Wednesday as they discussed the U.S.-Iran conflict, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and thre...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
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