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.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday (25 November) that France, together with other European Union member states, will finalise a mechanis...
French police arrested four further suspects on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the audacious Louvre jewel heist last month, Paris prosecuto...
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Qarabağ face Napoli in their next UEFA Champions League group stage match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Italy.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday (25 November) that France, together with other European Union member states, will finalise a mechanism in the coming days to provide financial support to Ukraine, using frozen Russian assets as a key component.
French police arrested four further suspects on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the audacious Louvre jewel heist last month, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.
A major fire continues to rage at a warehouse in Southall, west London, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky hours after it first broke out.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in north-eastern Ethiopia erupted on Sunday for the first time in over 12,000 years, before halting on Monday, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center.
Cameras from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Saturday (22 November) captured Hawaii's Kilauea volcano spewing flowing lava from its crater in its latest eruption.
Italy captured a remarkable third consecutive Davis Cup title on Sunday, with Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli securing singles victories in a 2-0 triumph over Spain in Bologna.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told his advisers that he plans to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro according to Axios, as Washington designated him as the head of a terrorist organisation on Monday. A claim Maduro denies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has once again expressed strong support for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, condemning foreign interference and criticising U.S. actions in the region.
Galatasaray suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the fifth round of the UEFA Champions League.
Beijing on Tuesday denied claims that it “detained or harassed” a resident from the disputed India-China border region at Shanghai airport, while reaffirming its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which China refers to as Zangnan.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning (23 November), covering nearby villages in ash.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that Ukraine needs “more support now” and confirmed that the UK will send additional air defence missiles in the coming weeks.
On Monday (24 November), the U.S. formally designated Venezuela’s “Cartel de los Soles” as a foreign terrorist organisation and imposed additional terrorism-related sanctions on its members, including President Nicolás Maduro and other senior officials.
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