News Wrap: Patel faces criticism for not releasing FBI’s Epstein files
PBS News Hour - Segments
PBS NewsHour
4.1 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 September 2025
⏱️ 5 minutes
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| 0:00.0 | Also today, FBI director Cash Patel repeatedly told House lawmakers that recent court orders |
| 0:06.6 | prohibit him from releasing files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. |
| 0:11.9 | I'm not going to break the law to satisfy your curiosity. |
| 0:15.3 | In his second day of contentious hearings on Capitol Hill, Patel faced bipartisan criticism |
| 0:20.6 | for not releasing all Epstein information |
| 0:22.9 | in the FBI's possession. Patel also told lawmakers he's never spoken to President Trump |
| 0:28.3 | about the Epstein files. And he once again said there's no credible information to suggest |
| 0:33.5 | that Epstein trafficked women to anyone other than himself. |
| 0:36.9 | Other than Epstein and Jolaine Maxwell, your testimony in the Senate here is that according |
| 0:42.3 | to the evidence you have, the number of other names is zero. |
| 0:47.3 | That were charged based on credible evidence. |
| 0:50.3 | Who are the other names? Give me the other names that weren't charged. |
| 0:53.3 | We are not releasing the names of anyone because the Department of Justice never does that of |
| 0:58.8 | anyone that didn't have any credible information to attack them. |
| 1:03.0 | In that same exchange, Patel agreed to look into the sexually suggestive letter that President |
| 1:08.3 | Trump allegedly sent Epstein as part of a birthday book in 2003. |
| 1:13.0 | Trump has denied writing it, saying it's fake. |
| 1:16.4 | Today's hearing in the House comes a day after Patel clashed with Senate Democrats over his |
| 1:21.4 | handling of the Charlie Kirk investigation and more. |
| 1:24.5 | Today, authorities in Utah gave more details about the arrest of the suspected shooter. |
| 1:29.3 | A sheriff involved with taking Tyler Robinson into custody said he feared being shot by police and agreed to surrender peacefully. |
| 1:37.3 | Prosecutors say they'll seek the death penalty for the 22-year-old. |
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