FBI has no evidence Epstein trafficked girls to others

The FBI’s truncated investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein found no evidence that he trafficked women or girls to other people, and only showed he procured them for himself, bureau Director Kash Patel told Congress on Tuesday.

He said the FBI’s probe was limited to only a few years around the turn of the century, based on an FBI investigation in 2006 and 2007.

That led to a deal led by then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, who oversaw the case that led to Epstein pleading guilty to a sex trafficking and sex solicitation charge in state court in exchange for a deal that he not face federal prosecution.

The evidence the FBI developed during that probe didn’t show Epstein procured women for others.

“There is no credible information — none, if there were, I would bring the case yesterday — that he trafficked to other individuals,” Mr. Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He was responding to a question from Sen. John Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, who asked whom Epstein trafficked “young women” to besides himself.

“Himself,” Mr. Patel said.

Epstein would later be charged again, in 2019, with trafficking juveniles for sex.

He was found dead in his New York City jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial. Investigations have found he took his own life.

His behavior has become a major political flashpoint, with those across the ideological spectrum demanding more information about a hypothesized Epstein “client list.” Some say it would expose major figures as complicit in his trafficking.

The Justice Department this summer said there is no such client list.

Both Democrats and Republicans asked if they could get access to documents that haven’t been released yet.

“This issue is not going to go away,” Mr. Kennedy said. “I think you’re going to have to do more to satisfy the American people’s understandable curiosity in that regard.” 

Mr. Patel said he’s releasing everything he is “legally” able to provide, and he’s limited by three court orders that have sealed the additional documents.

“If anyone can get the multiple district court judges to lift their protective orders, we will happily provide more information,” he said.

Mr. Patel also refuted a report this summer that Epstein served as an FBI informant.

“Mr. Epstein was not a source for the FBI,” Mr. Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He was challenged on the matter by Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican and chairman of the committee, who wanted to know whether any U.S. intelligence agency had used the wealthy convicted sex offender as an informant in their operations.

Mr. Patel said he could only answer for the FBI.

RadarOnline.com reported last month that Epstein was “a puppet, informant and spy for the FBI.” It cited a 2008 document obtained through an open-records request that said “Epstein has also provided information to the FBI as agreed upon.”

The document suggested a deal between the FBI and Epstein to avoid further prosecution as long as “Epstein continues to uphold his agreement with the state of Florida.”

In his testimony Tuesday, Mr. Patel offered his own criticism of the deal federal prosecutors struck with Epstein that has put many records sealed under court order and out of reach of the public.

Mr. Patel said the way the case was developed meant the FBI’s investigation into Epstein at the time was truncated.

“If I were the FBI director then, it wouldn’t have happened,” the director said.