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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Iran’s deputy foreign minister for Legal affairs Kazem Gharibabadi has said that plans are underway for the repatriation of Iranian prisoners and enhancing border security and controls.
Hurricane Melissa continues to batter Cuba on Wednesday (October 29), weakening to a Category 2 storm after devastating Jamaica and leaving at least 25 people dead in Haiti, officials said.
Kazakhstan has announced a new phase in construction plans for its first nuclear power plant. The power plant is expected to be operational by 2035.
Two people were killed and three others injured when a seven-storey building collapsed in the northwestern Turkish city of Gebze on Wednesday, local officials said. All five victims belonged to the same family.
A small, silent object from another star is cutting through the Solar System. It’s real, not a film, and one scientist thinks it might be sending a message.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Hurricane Melissa continues to batter Cuba on Wednesday (October 29), weakening to a Category 2 storm after devastating Jamaica and leaving at least 25 people dead in Haiti, officials said.
Two people were killed and three others injured when a seven-storey building collapsed in the northwestern Turkish city of Gebze on Wednesday, local officials said. All five victims belonged to the same family.
A trial beginning Wednesday in Portland, Oregon will determine whether President Donald Trump lawfully ordered the National Guard to the city to quell protests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia had tested a Poseidon nuclear-powered super autonomous torpedo and that it had been a great success.
Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea, officials said, as NATO’s eastern members heighten vigilance against potential airspace incursions.
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