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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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On Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel faced a second consecutive day of grilling on Capitol Hill as House Democrats questioned the Trump appointee about the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Patel was appearing before the House Judiciary Committee, a day after senators questioned him for several hours, including on his agency's handling of the Epstein files.
In a tense exchange with Democratic Representative Dan Goldman of New York, in which the congressman asked if President Donald Trump's name was in the Epstein files, Patel said the FBI had released "all credible information," which the courts allowed.
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Goldman questioned the laws prohibiting further releases. Patel later asked, "Do you know how court orders work?"
Goldman responded during the House hearing, "I was a prosecutor. A real prosecutor for ten years. I want to understand what the court order prevents you from releasing witness statements that the FBI took...you are hiding the Epstein files. You are part of the cover-up."
Patel responded, in part, "Any allegation I'm covering up child predators is patently false. He also stated, "We are not going to release downloaded porn."
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has come under increasing pressure and scrutiny over its handling of the Epstein files, after backtracking on a promise from Trump and his Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all documents related to the disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Patel's FBI was heavily involved in sifting through Department of Justice files ahead of the change earlier this summer.
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What To Know
Like their colleagues in the Senate, Democrats in the House were heavily critical of Patel on Wednesday morning, particularly over the Epstein case.
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin used Patel's own words against him, quoting what he had said earlier this year, in which he called for "full transparency" in the Epstein files.
"Upon your confirmation, you promised that, quote: 'There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, no stone left unturned,'" Raskin told Patel, before accusing him of pulling agents from their counter-terrorism and drug-trafficking investigation roles to pore over the Epstein files.
Raskin said this wasn't to look for more clues about Epstein's networks, but to frantically search to make sure Trump's name and image were flagged and redacted "wherever they appeared."
"In a few short months, how did you go from being a crusader for accountability and transparency with the Epstein files to being part of the conspiracy and cover-up? The answer is simple. You said it yourself—because of who is on that list," Raskin said.
The FBI director sat silently as Raskin outlined the accusations, but fought back after saying that the Trump administration had released more material than anyone else.
"We have released more material than anyone else. Before, the Biden administration, Obama administration, had the exact opportunities to release this material. They never did," Patel said.
Republican Thomas Massie, who has opposed the Trump administration's stance on transparency, also questioned Patel about his alleged attempt to cover up the files.
The Kentucky representative asked if Patel had opened investigations into any other potential suspects who may have been a part of Epstein's network. Patel said that no credible information had been presented to him recently.
The hearing repeatedly descended into shouting.
While the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has released thousands of pages of files related to the case in recent weeks, some of which came from Epstein's estate, it was clear on Wednesday that Congress still has questions for administration officials.
Patel Responds to Questions About Trump's Name in Epstein Files
Patel said he did not know offhand how many times Trump's name appeared in the Epstein files but stressed that the former president was "absolutely not implicated."
When repeatedly pressed by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee about why the FBI and Justice Department announced in July that no further evidence would be released, Patel explained that much of the withheld material consists of child sexual abuse content that cannot be made public, while other information is restricted by court orders.
What People Are Saying
Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, speaking to Kash Patel on Wednesday: "You're the director of the FBI. This is the largest sex trafficking case the FBI has ever been a part of. The buck stops at the top. And your testimony today is you have not reviewed all the Epstein files?"
FBI Director Kash Patel, in response: "I've been busy providing the safest country this country has seen in modern U.S. history in historic speed."
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson previously told Newsweek in a statement: "As the President correctly pointed out, the Democrats knew about Epstein's victims for years and did NOTHING to help them. President Trump and the Republican Party has been calling for transparency for years—and now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents.
"The real hoax is that the Democrats are now using these victims to deflect from their party's spectacular downfall. Epstein's victims deserve better than to be used by the Democrats for a political agenda. As usual, President Trump was right about everything!"
What Happens Next
The hearing continued into Wednesday afternoon.
Update 9/17/25, 12:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 9/17/25, 1:18 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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