House lawmakers pressed FBI Director Kash Patel on the Epstein files and lack of transparency in releasing the documents.
"You are hiding the Epstein files," a steamed Democratic congressman told FBI Director Kash Patel in a routine oversight hearing that periodically devolved into raised-voice bickering and partisan gamesmanship. "You are part of the coverup."
Rep. Daniel Goldman, from New York, was one of several Democrats who pressed Patel on why President Donald Trump's administration has not released more files related to the sex trafficking investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Forcing the Department of Justice to release Epstein documents has put some MAGA Republicans such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene -- a firebrand from Georgia who has pledged to read the names of Epstein's alleged accomplices if they are released -- on the same side as mainstream Democrats.
On Sept. 17, multiple Democratic lawmakers played archived video of Patel advocating for the release of Epstein-related documents, whose release he placed at the feet of the head of the FBI. Now as the chief of that agency, they pressed him for answers.
"Any allegations that I'm the part of a coverup to protect child sexual trafficking and victims of human trafficking and sexual crimes is patently and categorically false," Patel told the committee.
'A real prosecutor'
Patel repeatedly said that the Trump administration has released more than any previous administration, specifically pointing the finger at Democratic administrations under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He also said that the administration has released everything it is legally allowed to release.
But Goldman, a former federal prosecutor, pressed Patel to specify which information could not be released and which laws and court orders he was speaking of.
On why the FBI hasn't released video evidence, Patel said: "The overwhelming majority of that video is pornographic material that was downloaded from the internet, and child sexual abuse material."
Patel kept referencing a limited-scope investigation into Epstein in 2006, 2007 and 2008 -- years that Republican George W. Bush was president -- but did not appear to reference any investigative material that led to Epstein's arrest in 2019.
Then Goldman asked Patel why he specifically hasn't released federal interview reports with people who participated in the Epstein investigation.
"We are releasing as much as legally allowed," Patel responded. "Sir, do you know how court orders work?"
"Actually, Mr. Patel, I was a prosecutor -- a real prosecutor -- for years," Goldman responded.
"Oh, so I was a fake one?" Patel responded.
'Big boy pants'
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a high-profile Democrat from Maryland, played a video of Patel appearing on far-right influencer Benny Johnson's show in 2023.
When Johnson asks Patel why the Epstein list hasn't been released, Patel answers, “Simple, because of who’s on that list.” He says in another clip, “Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are.”
In another 2023 appearance on Blaze Media, founded by conservative Glenn Beck, the host asks who has Epstein’s black book, and then asks who specifically. “FBI,” Patel says. He later adds, “That’s under direct control of the director of the FBI.”
Raskin asked Patel why he hasn’t released the “black book” now that he’s the director of the FBI.
“The Rolodex, which is what everyone collectively refers to as the black book, has been released,” Patel answered.
Raskin replied: “Oh no. You’re taking about what the journalists got five years ago. No, that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about what you were talking about there—the black book under the direct control of the FBI director.”
“That’s exactly what I was talking about,” Patel said. “We have released more material than anyone else before. The Biden administration and the Obama administration had the exact opportunities to release this material and they never did.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in February she would release more Epstein files, but the administration has largely refused to release information that is not already in the public domain. The administration eventually requested a federal judge release grand jury transcripts, but that judge in August said that the government "is the logical party" to disclose Epstein files.
'The frickin' FBI'
Rep. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, pushed Patel to have the FBI subpoena more information related to Epstein, including hours of taped interviews with journalist Michael Wolff.
Patel said he didn't know if the FBI had subpoenaed the Wolff tapes.
Lieu asked if the Epstein files included the 2003 birthday doodle of a naked woman revealed by the Wall Street Journal that bears Trump's signature.
"That's what I was trying to tell you," Patel said. "You raise a great point. The estate of Jeffrey Epstein has a voluminous amount of information that they have not released before."
"OK so that's great," Lieu said. "So wouldn't it be great if the FBI subpoenaed the estate of Jeffrey Epstein for all of the information?"
"The estate is under no obligation to provide that material even pursuant to a subpoena," Patel responded. "That's a great point."
"That's just false," Lieu said. "You're the frickin' FBI. You can subpoena the information from the estate, and you better do that."