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Patel Grilled by Senate Over Epstein Files, ICE Shootings
(MENAFN) FBI Director Kash Patel endured a barrage of pointed questions Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, as lawmakers pressed him on the Jeffrey Epstein records, deadly immigration enforcement incidents, bureau hiring policy, and a defamation suit he filed over allegations about his drinking.
Defending the administration's handling of the Epstein documents, Patel said the bureau had turned over roughly 3.5 million pages in compliance with both the Epstein Files Transparency Act and court orders. "We have complied with the statute," Patel said, adding that investigators would review any material that proved to be genuinely new.
Democratic committee members countered that the FBI was shielding President Donald Trump from political damage tied to Epstein while leaving survivors without sufficient answers or accountability.
Patel also stood by his decision to sue The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick for defamation over an article claiming his drinking has affected his job performance. "She printed false material. I'm taking her to court," he said, insisting he retained the right to defend himself as a private individual.
When Democratic Sen. Peter Welch asked whether the bureau had opened an investigation into Fitzpatrick, Patel said it had not. "The FBI investigates criminals, and the FBI does not investigate personal matters," he said — a denial that followed earlier reporting suggesting the bureau had in fact begun looking into the journalist.
Much of the hearing turned to the January shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis during a contentious ICE operation. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota asked whether the bureau would back criminal probes into the deaths and share findings with the victims' families.
"We will fully support all those investigations," Patel responded, saying that held true whether state or federal authorities led them. Pressed on whether the FBI would ensure prompt, thorough reviews of officer-involved shootings more generally, he said: "When we are the lead agency, yes."
Defending the administration's handling of the Epstein documents, Patel said the bureau had turned over roughly 3.5 million pages in compliance with both the Epstein Files Transparency Act and court orders. "We have complied with the statute," Patel said, adding that investigators would review any material that proved to be genuinely new.
Democratic committee members countered that the FBI was shielding President Donald Trump from political damage tied to Epstein while leaving survivors without sufficient answers or accountability.
Patel also stood by his decision to sue The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick for defamation over an article claiming his drinking has affected his job performance. "She printed false material. I'm taking her to court," he said, insisting he retained the right to defend himself as a private individual.
When Democratic Sen. Peter Welch asked whether the bureau had opened an investigation into Fitzpatrick, Patel said it had not. "The FBI investigates criminals, and the FBI does not investigate personal matters," he said — a denial that followed earlier reporting suggesting the bureau had in fact begun looking into the journalist.
Much of the hearing turned to the January shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis during a contentious ICE operation. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota asked whether the bureau would back criminal probes into the deaths and share findings with the victims' families.
"We will fully support all those investigations," Patel responded, saying that held true whether state or federal authorities led them. Pressed on whether the FBI would ensure prompt, thorough reviews of officer-involved shootings more generally, he said: "When we are the lead agency, yes."
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