• Patel faces senators as critics question his leadership of the FBI
  • Handling of Kirk shooting probe and Epstein files have drawn scrutiny from Trump allies
  • Patel has sought to align FBI with Trump agenda

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - FBI Director Kash Patel told a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday there was no credible information that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women and underage girls to anyone but himself, seeking to defuse criticism of the Trump administration’s move to end its review of the case.

Patel’s disclosure about the late financier and convicted sex offender came as he angrily pushed back on questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee about his handling of the investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the firings of veteran officials who have claimed they were removed for political reasons.

Patel told senators the FBI’s investigative files on Epstein were limited because a U.S. attorney in Florida improperly narrowed the scope of an investigation into Epstein two decades ago.

The Justice Department’s July decision not to release additional material enraged many of President Donald Trump’s hardline supporters, who expected his administration to reveal connections between Epstein, who died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and other wealthy and powerful people.

“We have released all credible information,” Patel said.

  • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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    4 hours ago

    Yeah. Just a bunch of 1st hand, eye-witness testimony. But, no one listens to the victims, in any real investigation. That would be rude to the accused. /s

    • ToastedRavioli@midwest.social
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      12 hours ago

      Getting by on the most technical basis possible, Epstein did traffic girls to his own properties and then invited the other perverts there. So he only trafficked girls to himself in the way that someone throwing a party only buys a 30 rack of beer themselves, not with everyone who will drink out of it there with them at the liquor store

  • AndiHutch@lemmy.zip
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    11 hours ago

    Patel is lying. Here’s one from Epsteins Birthday book that got released.

    That is a picture of mar-a-logo in the background. The picture comes from Joel Pashcow who put it in the book.

    ‘Pashcow introduced Epstein to Trump in the 1990s when all three moved in the same social circles in both Palm Beach and in New York’ according to the Daily Mail

    Meanwhile on 9/11, one day after Kirk was killed, Maga Senate Republicans defended Trump by stopping the release of the Epstein Files with a 51-49 vote. What a convenient time for a narrative changing event for the media.

    • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      Right, there’s a shitload of credible information all over the place that contradicts what he’s saying today. Are they that stupid or just assume we all are?

  • hansolo@lemmy.today
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    12 hours ago

    Soooooooo… did Kash Patel just say that Bill Clinton and Bill Gates are NOT implicated in all this? Like, now NO ONE is involved? The Epstein list is 100% fake?

    How can any human being say that with a straight face?

  • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works
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    10 hours ago

    Patel told senators the FBI’s investigative files on Epstein were limited because a U.S. attorney in Florida improperly narrowed the scope of an investigation into Epstein two decades ago.

    And who would that be, Alex Acosta who was given a cabinet position in Trump’s last administration?

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    12 hours ago

    Seems pretty defensive. So he did traffic women and girls, but only to himself? That’s like claiming the drug dealer is the only one using the drugs.

    • TheFogan@programming.dev
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      12 hours ago

      In particular when they’ve already announced over 1000 victims.

      How the hell did Epstein have time to rape 1000 victims… and still have so much time to party with and manage money for so many powerful people.

      Also yeah, the trafficking itself is such a crazy concept. You don’t solo traffic so many people by yourself.

  • paper_moon@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    Well if he says it, it must be true. Why do people even bother posting these stories? “Trump says…” “Patel says…” All it does is spread and give credibility to their lies, by posting their lies in the freaking headline.

    • snooggums@piefed.world
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      13 hours ago

      It is an official lie that shows they are actively and publicly obstructing justice instead of just trying to let it fade away through inaction.

      • paper_moon@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        Right, you and I know that, but I worry most people just casually browse the headlines quickly, scanning the news highlights, and don’t put much thought into it. The way I worry it plays out is someone reads the headline, puts no thought into it, ends up in a social situation later where the topic comes up with and then person says “wait, wait I thought I just saw they said…[regurgitates headline lies]” and now the lies have spread and have some legitimacy to them in the social circle, muddying the waters of the topic and causing confusion on truth, or if the social circle is in agreement of the headline, then just causing more of an echo chamber

  • mfed1122@discuss.tchncs.de
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    13 hours ago

    What an incredibly stupid lie. Like Epstein was the Santa Claus of raping children, he somehow managed to get into all those houses all by himself in just one night!