WATCH: Sen. Schiff Blasts Kash Patel on Widespread Abuse and Politicization of the FBI, Continued Obstruction on Epstein Files

Schiff: "You're being very precise here, Mr. Patel. You're saying "alone." That means [FBI staff] were fired in part because they were assigned those cases. Is that your testimony?"

Washington, D.C. - Today, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) blasted Kash Patel, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for his widespread mismanagement and politicization of the agency.

Schiff pressed Patel on the basis for firings of FBI agents and investigators and called out Patel for prior commitments he made that he would not fire FBI staff for case assignments related to President Donald Trump or January 6. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 30, 2025, Patel stated "all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution."

On the continued obstruction over releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein, Schiff questioned Patel on Epstein's personal list of contacts and on the details related to the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell to a minimum-security prison.

Watch the full clip HERE. Download the clip HERE.

Key Excerpts:

On Patel's refusal to admit termination of FBI employees was motivated by political retribution:

Schiff: […] Mr. Patel, did you tell someone at the FBI that FBI employees identified as having worked on cases against President Trump would be removed from their jobs? Yes or no. Did you tell someone that?

Patel: I would never tell anyone at the FBI that they're being removed for basically their case assignments.

Schiff: Okay, so anyone who had said that would be lying. Is that your testimony?

Patel: Anyone can say whatever they want.

Schiff: No, I know, but you're saying they were a liar.

Patel: I'm telling you what I said.

Schiff: Because this is in the complaint against you, Mr. Patel. So, you're saying, Mr. Driscoll and others are liars?

Patel: I'm not going to address the complaint in the ongoing litigation.

Schiff: Ok. Well, then let me ask you, have you ever told anyone ever at the FBI, that the FBI tried to put the president in jail, and he hasn't forgotten it, and that your job depended on the removal of agents who worked on cases against the president?

Patel: No.

Schiff: Did you ever tell anyone that?

Patel: No.

Schiff: Okay. Did you ever tell anyone that you knew the summary firings you were undertaking were illegal, likely illegal, and that you would be sued and later deposed. You ever tell anyone that?

Patel: No firings at the FBI or terminations were done for anything other than justified cause.

Schiff: You ever tell anyone that - answer the question.

Patel: No terminations at the FBI were ever done in my tenure for anything other than failing to uphold the oath of office or the FBI.

Schiff: Did you ever tell anyone that, Mr. Patel? Are you willing to answer the question?

Patel: I have answered it.

Schiff: I guess you're not willing to answer the question. So let me move on.

On Patel's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and investigation:

Schiff: […] And let me follow up on Senator Kennedy's question. Because he asked you, and I'll be very precise here: "You've seen most of the files. Who, if anyone did Epstein traffic these young women to besides himself." And you said "Himself. There's no credible information, none. If there were, I would bring the case yesterday that he trafficked to other individuals. The information we have, again, is limited." And Senator Kennedy said, "The answer is no one?" And you said, "For the information we have." So, is it your testimony today that in all the Epstein files that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked no one to anyone but himself? Is that your testimony, Mr. Patel?

Patel: I never said Jeffrey Epstein didn't traffic anyone else.

Schiff: Did he traffic any young woman to someone other than himself? That was Mr. Kennedy's question.

Patel: And I said question the information that three administrations have had access to -

Schiff: I'm asking you -

Patel: - made determinations that there are no investigative leads that were credible to prosecute and investigate any others. I'm specifically stating -

Schiff: Well, I'm asking you -

Patel: - we were working on.

Schiff: I'm asking in your testimony, today -

Patel: You just read it, and I said it 10 minutes ago. So let the record reflect my testimony.

Schiff: I just want to make sure there's no misunderstanding, because there are victims, like Virginia Giuffre, who have testified otherwise, who have said otherwise, and you're telling the American people today that the Epstein list is a single name and it's Jeffrey Epstein. That's what we're to believe?

Patel: That's not what I'm saying. That's what you're saying. And you can say whatever you want.

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