FBI Director Kash Patel rejected the conspiracy theories on the suspicious circumstances of Jeffrey Epstein’s death during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday.
Patel says he believes the disgraced financier “hung himself in a cell in the Metropolitan Detention Center.”
For months, Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi have promised to release to the public all the hidden files surrounding the deceased globalist billionaire, but have failed to do so.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-L.A., asked Patel directly whether Epstein committed suicide or “did somebody kill him.”
When pressed about releasing all information related to the investigation, Patel claimed the FBI is “working through that right now with the Department of Justice” but offered no specific timeline.
“We’re doing it in a way that protects victims and also doesn’t put out into the ether information that is irrelevant,” Patel claimed.
Epstein died in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death spawned numerous conspiracy theories, particularly among some MAGA supporters who have claimed he was murdered to prevent him from revealing information about powerful globalist figures connected to his crimes.
Patel’s rejection of these theories has sparked backlash on social media from supporters —
Kash Patel is cooked. pic.twitter.com/1ncElfgFNU
— RyanMatta 🇺🇸 🦅 (@RyanMattaMedia) May 8, 2025
The exchange about Epstein was just one contentious moment in a hearing where Patel faced criticism for appearing unprepared vice chair of the committee. Patel arrived without a completed budget request for fiscal year 2026.
“Director Patel, where is the FY 2026 budget request for the FBI?” Sen. Patty Murray, D-W.A.,asked.
“Uhh, it’s being worked on, ma’am,” Patel responded, and said he had neither reviewed nor approved a budget yet. Murray called his performance “insufficient and deeply disturbing.”
The budget issue highlights an apparent tension Patel and the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal, which includes aggressive federal spending cuts — including $500 million in cuts to the FBI. At a House hearing on Wednesday, Patel demanded more funding for the FBI than proposed, but by Thursday had changed his position, telling senators he would “make the mission work on whatever budget we’re given.”
The Department of Justice made a large show by releasing Epstein-related files to conservative influencers in February, including flight logs, but they contained almost no new information.
Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in helping Epstein sex traffic minors around the world.