Tempers flared on Capitol Hill this week as FBI Director Kash Patel faced a marathon five-hour grilling from the House Judiciary Committee over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation files. The September 17, 2025, hearing marked Patel’s second consecutive day under congressional scrutiny, with lawmakers across the political spectrum pressing for answers about transparency, alleged cover-ups, and the role of President Donald Trump in the ongoing controversy.
At the heart of the hearing was the Trump administration’s July 2025 decision not to release additional investigative files from the Epstein case. According to Roll Call, Democrats zeroed in on whether Patel’s posture on transparency had shifted since taking office, particularly in light of his earlier public statements. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the committee’s top Democrat, played video clips of Patel—recorded before he became FBI director—asserting that he had direct control over Epstein’s infamous “black book” and could release the names of alleged co-conspirators. Raskin pressed, “So why haven’t you released the names of Epstein’s co-conspirators in the rape and sex trafficking of young women and girls?”
Patel, defiant throughout, insisted the FBI had released more material than any previous administration and cited three federal court orders that he said prevented further disclosures. “I literally just told you: There are multiple federal court orders. I’m not going to break the law to satisfy your curiosity,” Patel shot back, as reported by Roll Call. He maintained that the FBI had released everything it was “legally allowed” to, pointing to judges’ rulings that denied Justice Department requests to unseal grand jury transcripts. However, as AP News noted, those rulings do not necessarily bar the release of all investigative files.
The hearing’s most heated moments came when Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California repeatedly asked Patel whether he had informed Attorney General Pam Bondi that Trump’s name appeared in the Epstein files. Patel sidestepped the question, prompting Swalwell to ask again, more slowly. The exchange quickly devolved, with Patel snapping, “Why don’t you try to spell it out if you’re going to mock me? Use the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F.” At one point, Patel retorted, “I’m going to borrow your terminology and call (expletive) on your entire career. You have been a disgrace to the American people.”
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., also accused Patel of hiding the files and being “part of the cover-up.” Patel denied the allegation, stating, “Any allegations that I am part of a cover-up to protect child sexual trafficking is patently and categorically false.” Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, a vocal advocate for the release of the Epstein files, claimed that victims who cooperated with the FBI had said the agency possesses documents naming at least 20 high-profile men to whom Epstein trafficked victims—including a Hollywood producer, a royal prince, a prominent banker, and several billionaires. Massie pressed Patel on whether the FBI had launched investigations into these individuals. Patel replied, “Any investigations that arise from any credible investigation will be brought. There have been no new materials brought to me.”
Massie has filed a discharge petition that could force the release of Epstein-related records if it garners 218 signatures—a number that could be reached if a Democrat wins an upcoming Arizona special election and joins the effort. The political stakes of the Epstein files remain high, with both parties accusing the other of stonewalling or politicizing the investigation.
The controversy intensified earlier this month when the House Oversight Committee released a sexually suggestive letter, purportedly written by Trump for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. The letter, featuring the silhouette of a woman and what appears to be Trump’s signature, was handed over by the Epstein estate. Trump has adamantly denied writing the letter, and the White House has insisted the signature is not his. According to AP News, Patel signaled during the hearing that the FBI would investigate the authenticity of the letter after Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz pressed him on the matter. “Sure, I’ll do it,” Patel responded, though he did not clarify what such an investigation would entail.
Patel also faced questions about his previous public comments that raised conservatives’ hopes of bombshell revelations from the Epstein investigation. Yet, as TIME reported, he maintained there was “no credible information—none” that Epstein trafficked girls to anyone besides himself. “If there were, I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals,” Patel told Republican Sen. John Kennedy during the hearings. He added, “We have continuously publicly asked for the public to come forward with more information. If there is, we’ll look at it.”
Throughout the hearing, Patel’s critics accused him of hypocrisy, pointing to his earlier remarks about the FBI’s authority to release Epstein’s client list and his subsequent reluctance to do so as director. Lawmakers played clips of Patel urging the public to “put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are,” and noting that the black book was under “direct control of the director of the FBI.” Now, more than 200 days into his tenure, Democrats wanted to know why no new names had been released.
Despite the acrimony, there were moments of bipartisan acknowledgment. Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee praised the FBI’s role in Operation Viper, a law enforcement surge in Memphis launched just days earlier by Trump and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. The initiative, which involves deploying National Guard troops and forming a special federal task force, aims to combat crime in the city. Cohen commended Patel, saying, “You did a good job. The police director and the mayor have told me that has been helpful, the FBI working with the police. They know Miranda rights. They know how to do policing, and they do a good job working with the police.”
Interestingly, while the White House claimed on social media that Memphis’s total crime rate had increased—bucking national trends—Memphis police reported decreases across every major crime category in the first eight months of 2025. The city’s overall crime rate hit a 25-year low, and murders dropped to a six-year low, according to police data cited by AP News. Cohen remarked, “We’ve got some crime, but it’s not a troubled city. We’re not troubled.”
Republicans, meanwhile, focused on the long-concluded federal investigation into alleged ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. Patel called the launch of the investigation a “massive scandal” and confirmed that the FBI is still probing certain aspects, including media leaks and the handling of sensitive documents. “Is there more to be done to uncover the depths and origins of the Russia collusion hoax?” Patel was asked. “There is,” he replied, “and we’re doing it.”
The September 17 hearing underscored the deep divisions in Congress over the Epstein case, transparency, and the politicization of federal law enforcement. With new developments—such as the disputed Trump letter and the looming possibility of further disclosures—this story is far from over. For now, the public is left waiting for clarity and accountability as the political battle over the Epstein files rages on.
