FBI Director Kash Patel was accused Wednesday of being part of a cover-up for alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
New York Representative Dan Goldman tried to get into the weeds with Patel over the FBI director’s refusal to release names of Epstein’s associates that were involved in his alleged sex trafficking of minors.
“You are hiding the Epstein files, Mr. Patel! You are part of the cover-up,” Goldman claimed.
“Any allegations that I am a part of a cover-up to protect child sexual trafficking and victims of human trafficking and sexual crimes is patently and categorically false,” Patel responded.
During a contentious questioning, Goldman accused Patel of withholding additional information that wasn’t subject to court orders about Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking, and preventing the release of grand jury testimony that had been unsealed as part of discovery in a case against Ghislaine Maxwell.
In August, a judge refused the government’s request to unseal grand jury testimony used in Maxwell’s case, ruling it would remain sealed to protect grand jury secrecy, and because it would “not reveal new information of any consequence.” But Goldman insisted that there were witness testimonies not included in the judge’s order.
Judges weighing the Trump administration’s requests have said that its renewed effort to unseal grand jury testimony, which included a few dozen pages of hearsay that was nothing compared to what the government already had, was simply an effort to confuse the public, according to Politico.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman wrote in August that the Trump administration retained the power to release the records and that its files weren’t subject to the kind of secrecy afforded to grand jury material.
Patel denied that any testimony had been unsealed in Maxwell’s case, and claimed that there were other protective orders, and “limited” search warrants that prevented the release of additional information. He said that the “overwhelming majority” of the videos and photographs reviewed by the government were “pornographic material that was downloaded from the internet,” and would never be released.
Patel then doubled down on his outrageous claim that the government had absolutely no evidence that Epstein had trafficked girls and women to anyone else (despite a trove of survivor testimony to the contrary). Patel also admitted he had not personally reviewed the Epstein files in full.
Goldman reminded Patel that he had “total control to release” information on others Epstein trafficked to, and asked why he wouldn’t release a list of names. Patel replied that he would not release child porn.
“I’m not asking about that! Fine. I’m asking about all the other files!” Goldman demanded.
“What other videos? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me!” Patel pressed, claiming that to his knowledge, there was no evidence Epstein trafficked to others.
“That’s all we got,” the FBI director said.
Goldman battered Patel for not releasing witness testimonies, claiming that they were not subject to the court order and could be released with victims’ names redacted.
“Sir, do you know how court orders work? Do you know how protective orders work?” Patel asked.
“Actually, Mr. Patel, I was a prosecutor—a real prosecutor for 10 years, so I know exactly how a court order works,” Goldman snapped.
“Oh, so I was a fake one?” asked Patel, who had served as a national security prosecutor for roughly four years under the Obama administration.
Goldman pressed Patel to release witness statements that were not protected as part of grand jury testimony or were no longer under a protective order. He also asked Patel why he hadn’t gone to the court asking to unseal the witness testimony.
Patel said that the DOJ had requested that the court unseal grand jury records before the judge had said no, but Goldman insisted there was other witness testimony.
After being told his time was up, Goldman accused Patel of playing defense for those involved in Epstein’s alleged crimes.
This story has been updated.
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