FBI Director Kash Patel Defends Tenure Amid Scrutiny Over Kirk Case, Epstein Files, and Personnel Actions

FBI Director Kash Patel faced intense questioning during his first oversight hearing on Tuesday, just seven months into his role. The session saw Patel defend his leadership amidst controversies ranging from the handling of the Charlie Kirk murder investigation to accusations of politicizing the bureau and calls for greater transparency regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s files.

Patel addressed criticism over his social media post, which prematurely announced an arrest in the Charlie Kirk killing before it was official. “Could I have been more careful in my verbiage and said we had a subject instead of the subject? Sure,” he conceded to senators, while asserting his actions were aimed at public engagement. This incident, along with reports of Patel dining out during the manhunt and a profanity-laced call with deputies, drew bipartisan criticism of his performance.

Regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, Patel pledged to release all unsealed documents, stating, “If I were the FBI director then, it wouldn’t have happened,” referring to what he called an “original sin” in the case’s early stages under former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta. However, Patel stated there was “no credible information” that Epstein trafficked young women to anyone other than himself, a claim that prompted Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) to urge further transparency, echoing bipartisan calls. Acosta is slated to appear before the House Oversight Committee this Friday to discuss the Epstein case.

The hearing grew particularly tense over allegations of political retribution. Democrats, including Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), accused Patel of lying about his commitment to an apolitical FBI, citing the August termination of five veteran officials. While Patel denied that anyone was fired for “case assignments alone,” he faced continued skepticism. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pressed Patel on whether terminations were linked to investigations involving former President Trump or the Jan. 6 insurrection, a line of questioning Patel sidestepped with his repeated answer. The hearing concluded with heated exchanges, including Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) telling Patel he wouldn’t “be around long.” Republicans largely supported Patel throughout the session.

阅读中文版 (Read Chinese Version)

Disclaimer: This content is aggregated from public sources online. Please verify information independently. If you believe your rights have been infringed, contact us for removal.