FBI Director Kash Patel told U.S. senators on Tuesday morning that there is "no credible information" in case files that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked young women to anyone other than himself.

The remarks came during a heated hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which Republican Louisiana Senator John Kennedy asked Patel about his knowledge of the Epstein files.

Why It Matters

The committee's questioning of Patel comes amid increased scrutiny of his leadership of the FBI and his handling of the investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week.

What To Know

Kennedy, alongside other senators, questioned Patel over the Epstein files on Tuesday morning.

"You've seen most of the files. Who if anyone did Epstein traffic these young women to, besides himself?" Kennedy asked Patel.

Patel responded, "Himself. There is no credible information, none. If there were I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals. And the information we have, again, is limited."

Kennedy followed up, "So the answer is no one?"

The FBI director responded, "For the information that we have. In the case files."

Kennedy said such an explanation was unlikely to satisfy calls for greater transparency.

"This issue is not going to go away," Kennedy said. "The central question for the American people is this: They know Epstein trafficked young women for sex with himself. What they want to know is whether he trafficked them to anyone else."

An aide passes a note to FBI Director Kash Patel as he testifies before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. An aide passes a note to FBI Director Kash Patel as he testifies before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Associated Press

Previous testimonies from Epstein's victims have suggested they were trafficked for other individuals. Much of the discourse surrounding Epstein in recent months has centered on an alleged client list that names those who were said to have participated in this activity.

Patel noted that the available case files only contain "limited search warrants" from 2006 and 2007, because federal prosecutors in Florida had previously struck a deal with Epstein that allowed him to avoid prosecution for his earlier crimes.

Democratic Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the committee, asked Patel about reports that any mentions of President Donald Trump had to be flagged by FBI officials. Durbin asked Patel if he had personally overseen this.

Patel pushed back, saying that the FBI had worked in tandem with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to deliver transparency for the American people.

Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, also asked whether there was any validity to claims that Epstein had been an intelligence asset for the U.S. government. Patel said it was not true, at least when it came to the FBI.

Were the Epstein Files Released to the Public? What We Know

The issue of the Epstein files continues to hang over the Trump administration, around two months after a decision not to publish the highly anticipated documents the DOJ was said to have on the case.

Several years' worth of work by federal investigators into the late financier, who died by suicide in a Manhattan prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, remains hidden from public scrutiny, despite promises by Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi in January that the files would be released.

The change in July prompted backlash from Trump's MAGA base and several Republicans in Congress, who said they wanted transparency, while Trump has insisted the issue is dead.

In recent weeks, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has released thousands of pages of files related to the case, some from Epstein's estate.

What People Are Saying

FBI Director Kash Patel, on Tuesday: "I know there's a lot of talk about Epstein, and I'm here to testify that the original sin in the Epstein case was the way it was initially brought by Mr. Acosta back in 2006. The original case involved a very limited search warrant, or set of search warrants, and didn't take as much investigatory material as it should have seized. If I were FBI director back then, it wouldn't have happened."

President Donald Trump, on Truth Social on September 5: "The now dying (after the DOJ gave thousands of pages of documents in full compliance with a very comprehensive and exacting Subpoena from Congress!) Epstein case was only brought back to life by the Radical Left Democrats because they are doing so poorly, with the lowest poll numbers in the history of the Party (16 percent), while the Republicans are doing so well, among the highest approval numbers the Party has ever had!"

What Happens Next

Patel's hearing continued Tuesday afternoon, while the House Oversight Committee has pledged to continue its investigation into the issue.

Update 9/16/25, 12:53 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.