Biggest Arrest In American History? Kash Patel SHOCKS Americans In Senate Clash — US News

[0:00] Very limited in what I can say because of what the current status of those matters are with the FBI and the Department of Justice. [0:07] When I am able to make those public, I will. [0:09] Can you tell me if there's an ongoing investigation there? [0:12] Again, without identifying any individuals related to the information you're generally speaking about, [0:17] there is an ongoing matter that has been under review by the Department and the FBI for some time. [0:23] Because we know that the documents that we received last month revealed that former Director Comey [0:28] used Columbia University law professor as a conduit to leak stories to the media that contained classified information. [0:34] Let me move on to the way that the FISA process was weaponized by past directors. [0:41] Prior to your confirmation, you raised concerns about government misuse of FISA, [0:45] including Section 702 stating that FISA was in need of major, major reform. [0:50] Specifically, you highlighted that the FISC report that the FBI had conducted 278,000 improper searches of the FISA database. [0:59] Do you remain concerned about governmental abuse of FISA in Section 702? [1:02] I'm always concerned, but what we've done since I became FBI director is implement new audit systems. [1:08] We are nearing 100% review of the 702 query system that you are specifically referring to. [1:13] And we've also eliminated anyone that has ever touched that database that has in any way made a mistake, [1:18] whether intentional or not. [1:20] And we have also identified a system in which those going forward who misuse the 702 system, [1:27] they don't get two strikes. [1:29] They get one and you're done. [1:30] Okay. [1:30] I'm glad you mentioned you're continuing to audit because, as you know, in May, [1:34] the New York Times reported you closed the FBI's Office of Internal Auditing. [1:38] Can you explain why you decided to close this office? [1:42] Yeah, because under the new restructuring of the FBI to save resources, [1:46] there were two different places doing the exact same thing. [1:49] We have a specific division dedicated to audits. [1:52] I didn't need another audit system doing the audits again. [1:55] And so we folded some of those folks with their expertise into our specific division [1:58] and then took the rest of those folks and are moving them out across the country. [2:02] Under previous FBI leadership, FBI agents were found to have lied to the FISC. [2:06] There have been hundreds of thousands of violations of querying standards. [2:09] In light of past violations, what action is the FBI taking to ensure that similar abuses do not occur in the future? [2:15] Exactly what I've outlined. [2:17] You cannot have access to the 702 query system if you improperly query that system at all at any time in your career. [2:26] Okay. [2:27] At a Senate hearing two years ago, your predecessor, Director Wray, testified FBI had previously purchased U.S. phone geolocation data [2:33] for a specific national security pilot project and further stated that the project had not been acted for some time [2:39] and that the FBI relies on court-authorized process to obtain location data from companies. [2:44] Does the FBI purchase location data or any other data of Americans from data brokers? [2:49] I don't believe so, but I'll get back to you. [2:52] Thank you. [2:53] That'd be important. [2:53] I appreciate that. [2:54] I yield back. [2:54] Gentleman yields back. [2:55] Gentleman from Washington is recognized. [2:57] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [2:59] Mr. Patel, before you joined the FBI, you had very strong opinions about what the FBI was hiding regarding Jeffrey Epstein. [3:06] In a September 2023 interview with Glenn Beck, you said, [3:09] the Black Book is under the, quote, direct control of the director of the FBI. [3:14] In December 2023, you said, let us know who the pedophiles are. [3:18] Even for a short time after becoming FBI director, in February of 2025, you tweeted, quote, [3:24] there will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, no stone left unturned. [3:29] In June, you told Joe Rogan, quote, we've reviewed all the information. [3:33] We're going to give you every single thing we have and can. [3:36] But then suddenly in July, everything changed. [3:40] You and Attorney General Pam Bondi released one video and said that there was nothing more to see. [3:46] Your July memo says you uncovered more than 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence, [3:54] but that you had decided no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted. [4:00] That is a quote. [4:01] I think what happened, Mr. Patel, is that suddenly you discovered that Donald Trump's name was all over these files [4:08] and you started a giant cover-up. [4:12] So you are under oath, Mr. Patel. [4:15] You just testified to Mr. Swalwell that you did not speak to the president about the Epstein files. [4:22] To your knowledge, did Attorney General Pam Bondi speak to the president about what was in the Epstein files? [4:30] I can't speak for Attorney General Pam Bondi. [4:32] So to your knowledge, you don't have any information. [4:36] The question was, do you have any knowledge? [4:38] Do you have any knowledge? [4:39] I can't speak for Attorney General Pam Bondi. [4:40] You are refusing to answer the question. [4:41] So let me tell you that the Wall Street Journal reported that in May, [4:46] Bondi told Trump that he was in the Epstein files [4:49] and at the same meeting said that the DOJ did not plan to release the files. [4:55] Yesterday, you testified to Senator Kennedy that there was, quote, [4:59] no credible information that Epstein trafficked girls to anyone else [5:03] and that you have, quote, continuously and publicly asked the public to come forward with more information [5:09] and we'll look into it. [5:10] Today, in response to Mr. Massey's question, [5:15] you appear to say that the survivors were not credible. [5:21] These are survivors. [5:23] That's not at all what I said. [5:24] Okay, great. [5:24] I'm going to ask you this in a second, but let me tell you about the survivors. [5:28] And let's bring them up here into the room. [5:31] These are women who came to the Hill and testified that they were groomed and raped [5:37] at the age of 14 and 16 years old. [5:40] And they called to meet with the president and to meet with the FBI [5:44] and to have people investigate their claims. [5:48] Some of them have never testified before. [5:50] If you are so interested in getting the public to submit any information, [5:54] why have you not met with them? [5:56] You said you haven't met with them. [5:57] Have you met with them? [5:58] I'll give you one more chance. [6:00] My job as the FBI director is to invite all investigative leads. [6:05] So whether or not you met with these women who were sexually abused and raped. [6:11] Any insinuation by you or any people on your side [6:14] that I am not manhunting child predators and sex traffickers, [6:18] just look at the stats. [6:19] And you talk about cover-ups, man. [6:21] Mr. Chairman, this is my time, and I will take as much time as I want. [6:24] Where were you during the Obama and Biden administrations [6:28] when these so-called cover-ups were going on? [6:30] Why did anyone in those administrations talk to any of these purported witnesses? [6:35] I had to welcome every single person to provide credible information. [6:39] Time belongs to the gentlelady from Washington. [6:41] And I'm going to take another couple of minutes. [6:42] When you accuse the witness of something, he's allowed to respond. [6:45] That's how it works. [6:46] Listen, he didn't even- [6:47] Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, you have always been fair. [6:50] But this is not fair. [6:51] And I'm being fair, and you will get your- [6:52] No, this is my time, and he said that the witnesses were not credible. [6:57] Seconds of time. [6:58] I'm going to get an additional minute of time, [7:01] because that's how much time he took. [7:02] You won't get a minute. [7:02] You'll get some seconds. [7:03] It's what we think is under five minutes. [7:06] You don't get to demand how much time you get. [7:07] That's not how it works. [7:09] Mr. Patel, are the victims of the Jeffrey Epstein horrific trafficking ring, [7:17] are they credible? [7:19] Any person with information about ongoing sexual trafficking- [7:24] I'm asking you if they're credible. [7:25] Ma'am, I'm commenting on the evidence we have. [7:28] And we have routinely asked for people to come forward with more evidence, [7:32] and we will look at it. [7:33] And the evidence that we have was the same evidence that the Biden and Obama Justice Departments had. [7:38] And they determined, not me, [7:40] they determined that that information was not credible. [7:42] Mr. Chairman, he's not letting me even ask my questions. [7:45] You ask the questions, he gives an answer. [7:46] You may not like what he says, but that doesn't mean you get to interrupt him. [7:49] You're not answering my question. [7:50] Mr. Chairman, could we restore the gentlelady 45 seconds so she can complete her question? [7:54] We will give her additional 30 seconds, which is what I said earlier. [7:56] I'm going to keep taking my time. [7:57] No, you'll take the time that you get. [7:59] You get 30 seconds. [7:59] Mr. Chairman, we are not answering the question. [8:02] The question is, are these women credible? [8:07] It's a yes or no answer. [8:08] I have answered the question. [8:10] Well, what is the answer? [8:11] I keep telling you, I'm the only FBI director that has welcomed new information in this case. [8:15] This administration is the only one that has welcomed any new information in this case. [8:19] Is there a yes or no to whether the victims are credible? [8:21] Present new, credible information. [8:24] Present new information. [8:25] Are the victims credible or not? [8:28] I'll tell you what happened in the last Trump administration. [8:30] Are they credible or not? [8:31] You can't even say. [8:32] Victims credibly came forward. [8:33] And you know what happened? [8:34] President Trump authorized the indictments of Jeffrey Epstein. [8:38] President Trump called them a hoax. [8:39] Not Biden, not Obama. [8:40] President Trump called the entire thing a democratic hoax. [8:45] So I would like to ask you if you will meet. [8:47] The gentlelady's time has expired. [8:48] I gave her the additional 45 seconds she requested. [8:51] The gentlelady yields back. [8:52] The gentleman from New Jersey is recognized for his five minutes. [8:56] With the women who were sexually abused and raped and grooved at the ages of 14 and 16 years old. [9:05] Are you going to cover up? [9:07] Are you going to continue to cover up for the rich and powerful men, including those that might be on this committee? [9:15] I can yell too, Mr. Chairman, but I don't want to yell above this. [9:18] The time belongs to the gentleman from New Jersey. [9:21] I appreciate the gentlelady yielding back. [9:22] Are you going to allow them to testify, Mr. Patel? [9:25] Go ahead, Mr. Andrews. [9:25] Will you allow them to testify to you, Mr. Patel? [9:29] Mr. Patel, thank you for being here. [9:32] I know it's been an interesting and difficult two days. [9:35] And I wasn't going to talk about the Epstein thing because there's a lot of other issues that affect the FBI. [9:40] But I have to say a few words. [9:42] I just, I've sat here. [9:44] I've listened to this. [9:45] I've watched it. [9:46] And, you know, my Democratic colleagues are so concerned now, Mr. Patel. [9:50] All of a sudden, where were they last year? [9:52] Where were they the year before? [9:54] Where were they the year before that? [9:55] Where was the last president in any of this? [9:58] Well, all I know, the only thing I see is a single letter from the ranking member that was sent in 2019 that he didn't like the plea deal. [10:06] And some people signed on to that. [10:08] Most of the truth, the real truth, let's be honest. [10:12] Let's be intellectually honest. [10:14] The real truth is we didn't hear from them at all, anybody of them. [10:19] Hardly any of them ever mentioned it. [10:21] Some of them didn't mention it at all until the beginning of this year, earlier in the year it started. [10:27] Not one Democrat asked Director Wray. [10:30] We all remember Director Wray was here. [10:33] Not once, not twice, multiple times. [10:36] Nobody asked Director Wray about Epstein before this committee. [10:41] Nobody was that concerned. [10:42] Where was the concern for the victims then? [10:45] Where was the moral righteousness then? [10:47] Where was the outrage then? [10:49] Where was the sense of duty then? [10:51] Where was the desire for accountability then? [10:54] Where was the urgency for justice then? [10:57] Most of all, where the hell was the integrity then? [11:01] You know what the truth is. [11:03] Let's just say it, man. [11:04] Tell the truth time. [11:06] The truth is it's politically useful for them to try to do this now, even though they didn't give a damn about it in the past. [11:14] And you know what? [11:16] That's an insult to the victims. [11:18] And that's an insult to America. [11:20] Continue to do the work you're doing. [11:22] Continue to uncover what needs to be uncovered. [11:25] One real quick thing before I say anything to 9-11. [11:29] We know that was mishandled by the past Director and by the past FBI's. [11:33] There are family members here. [11:35] There are family members who are concerned. [11:37] God Almighty, we want to get to the truth of that. [11:39] I ask you, please, to meet with them, to talk to them, and to investigate this with truth. [11:45] You know, in the Biden administration, we went through a very dark and difficult period of time. [11:52] The FBI trust was broken with the people. [11:55] Catholics were—this is the stuff we've been talking about—were labeled radical threats for praying in their churches with their rosaries. [12:01] Parents at school boards were called terrorists for standing up for their children. [12:05] Hindu holy men in New Jersey, we have a large—the largest Hindu temple in the world. [12:11] They were attacked. [12:12] They were put up against the wall with guns to their heads. [12:15] So it isn't just a Catholic or Christian thing. [12:17] American Jews were targeted in colleges and universities, and a lot of folks in the FBI, in the past FBI, not this one, didn't give a damn. [12:26] We can't go back to targeting religion. [12:29] We can't go back to silencing free speech. [12:32] The Biden administration did that. [12:33] So I got questions for you, hopefully thoughtful questions that you can answer for us in a thoughtful way. [12:40] How is this FBI now, under your leadership, how are we storing trust for Catholics, for Hindus, for Jews, for parents, for all the other—for just American people that were targeted by FISA because they had a different viewpoint? [12:55] How are we restoring that trust in the FBI? [12:59] In multiple ways, sir. [13:00] One, and maybe most importantly, is through transparency and providing the American public with the material so they can see, read it themselves as to what the abuses were in the past, whether it relates to the Catholic memo or the Hindu incident you talked about at the largest temple in North America. [13:14] Any institution of faith and any member of faith will not be investigated by this FBI because they are men and women of faith ever, period. [13:23] Nor should they. [13:24] Nor should they. [13:25] I don't mean to interrupt you. [13:26] But my God, of all the amendments to the Constitution, freedom of speech, freedom to believe in what you want to believe in. [13:32] I know you're standing up for that. [13:33] Continue. [13:34] I'm sorry. [13:34] No, that's it. [13:35] Sorry. [13:35] Okay. [13:36] The Richmond memo was driven by a reliance on sources, the Southern Poverty Law Center. [13:42] You know, the words sound nice, but the organization's not so nice. [13:45] And we've seen the Anti-Defamation League distort data that counts as well as violence. [13:51] Have you been able to identify and eliminate these kinds of partisan sources? [13:56] We welcome all sources, but we want objectivity and neutrality and decency in the way we report all this. [14:04] Have you been able to uncover any information there? [14:07] How do we make sure our sources are good in the future? [14:10] We have reviewed the source processes that infiltrate any institutions of faith, and they will no longer be going into institutions of faith. [14:19] They will be directed towards criminal activity and protecting the homeland, the two most important missions the FBI has, and that's what we're going to continue to do. [14:27] Good. [14:27] And I'll say this. [14:28] There was a lot of bull today, a lot of you-know-what, and I'm not going to say it because I respect the institution so much going on around here. [14:36] Continue to do the work of the people. [14:39] You are here for that reason. [14:41] The administration is here for that reason. [14:43] It was weaponized and politicized, the FBI, in the past. [14:47] I hope to God we never, ever see that again, one of the darkest parts of American history. [14:53] Thank you, Mr. Vitae. [14:54] I yield back. [14:54] Mr. Chairman, I have a unanimous consent. [14:56] The gentleman yells back. [14:56] The gentleman from New York is recognized for UC. [14:58] I would like to introduce a CNN article that explains how an alleged top leader of the MS-13 gang was dismissed, his case was dismissed, in Brooklyn, so that he could be deported back to El Salvador, even though he was charged with murder. [15:15] Without objection. [15:15] Mr. Chairman, I have some unanimous consent. [15:17] The lady from Washington is recognized. [15:19] I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record. [15:21] An article titled, Justice Department told Trump in May that his name is among many in the Epstein files. [15:27] Without objection. [15:28] I have another one that is a July 2025 article by the New York Times entitled, How a Frantic Scouring of the Epstein Files Consumed the Justice Department, [15:40] stating that DOJ and FBI employees reviewing the Epstein files were instructed to flag any mentions of Trump and other celebrities. [15:47] Not objection. [15:48] And I have another unanimous consent request enter into the record. [15:52] An August 2025 article by the Guardian entitled, Ghislaine Maxwell hinted at Epstein's ties to Trump officials. [16:00] Why wasn't she pressed for names, stating that Maxwell told Deputy U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche that some of the, quote, cast of characters around Epstein are in Trump's cabinet. [16:11] Without objection. [16:12] Chair now recognizes the general lady from Pennsylvania. [16:13] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Patel, for coming before us to testify today. [16:21] I am concerned by your repeated claims that you're not able to disclose anything further about the Epstein investigation files [16:29] and that there's no evidence of a broader conspiracy or other people who should be charged [16:35] because the American people aren't buying that you've been transparent or that there's nothing further to be seen. [16:42] In your exchange with my colleague, Mr. Roy, you reiterated something that I heard you say yesterday in your Senate testimony, [16:49] and that is under your direction, the FBI will always follow the money. [16:53] Is that right? [16:54] The money, did you say? [16:56] Yes. [16:56] Yes, you said you'll follow the money. [16:57] That's great. [16:58] And just now you said you welcome the opportunity to investigate new evidence. [17:02] So there has been significant recent reporting just in the last couple weeks that after Jeffrey Epstein was arrested, [17:10] four major banks flagged more than $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions connected to him [17:19] that suggested a massive conspiracy related to his child sex trafficking activities. [17:25] Director Patel, has the FBI reviewed the $1.5 billion in suspicious bank transactions flagged to the government [17:32] relating to Epstein and his co-conspirators? [17:35] I know the FBI has reviewed numerous SARs. [17:37] I don't know the totality of that number. [17:40] Okay. [17:40] Can you provide us with that number? [17:42] I'll get back to you. [17:43] Okay. [17:44] And have you initiated any new investigation of those bank transactions since, say, September 8th [17:50] when the new reporting came out? [17:51] I'll check with the Treasury Department because they're the lead on that. [17:54] Okay. [17:56] So, Director Patel, how many individuals or entities has the FBI interviewed, subpoenaed, or compelled to testify? [18:07] Can you give us those numbers with respect to these bank transactions? [18:11] Not off the top of my head. [18:12] I'll have to work with Treasury. [18:13] Okay. [18:15] We're concerned, you see, because you say you're going after child predators. [18:19] We are. [18:20] Obviously, this is how you follow the money, is if you follow the bank transactions that apparently enabled the child sex trafficking. [18:29] Would you agree? [18:32] It's one of the valuable investigative tools, is to follow the money. [18:35] Okay. [18:35] Have Jeffrey Epstein's victims have asked us to ask you whether or not you've investigated Epstein's lawyers, the lawyers who facilitated those payments. [18:46] Have you subpoenaed or questioned any of those lawyers? [18:51] So, in 2018 and 19, what I recollect is many, if not every one of those lawyers, was part of the investigation. [18:59] But you weren't there at that time, right? [19:00] I wasn't there. [19:00] Okay. [19:01] So, can you get us the names and the numbers of who was investigated then with respect to those lawyers? [19:07] As long as I'm allowed to release it, absolutely. [19:09] Okay. [19:09] Well, if we provide you with subpoenas, I assume you can release it. [19:12] Is that right? [19:12] We have a current subpoena, and we're working with Congress to provide it. [19:17] You've said that the Acosta investigation had an original sin. [19:24] What do you mean by that? [19:27] Basically, if you're looking at an actual pedophile ring, what you should not do is limit the time frame in which you're legally able to collect information. [19:38] So, search warrants that Mr. Acosta utilized in 2006 and 2007 leading to the 2008 plea agreement had a very specific narrow window of years, I think three or four years. [19:48] And so, information pursuant to legal process wasn't collected for 10 years or 15 years or 20 years. [19:55] It also, subpoenas were not sent out to hundreds of witnesses at the time, hundreds of victims at the time. [20:02] None of that was done. [20:02] None of these people were put in grand juries. [20:04] And so, the totality of information from the jump, instead of being this big, was like this. [20:11] And that, in my opinion, is not how you run an investigation if you're trying to break a sex trafficking ring. [20:15] So, you're now in charge of the FBI. [20:17] Why haven't you done that investigation? [20:20] Great question. [20:21] And here's the answer. [20:22] Simply because I am not able to go back 20 years and collect information that the courts had decided was already subject to search warrants. [20:32] They have said this wasn't the investigation. [20:34] There's a non-prosecution agreement out of that plea. [20:38] And when the case was reopened, and this is where it comes into play, when the case was reopened in 2018 and 2019, the search warrants, again, were limited to the conduct of Jeffrey Epstein. [20:49] Now, whether that's right or wrong, that's a different discussion. [20:52] But I'm telling you, that's the information we review. [20:54] It is a different discussion, and I think the discussion we'd like to have today is why you aren't following the money with respect to the broader conspiracy that has been reported in the New York Times and elsewhere. [21:08] And that if you really want to attack the issue, if you wanted to attack the issue, if you wanted to get to the bottom of it, if you wanted to disclose what really was involved in the Epstein files, the Epstein cover-up, that you would be taking very different actions that you are today. [21:24] I do want to seek unanimous consent to enter into the record the New York Times September 8, 2025 article, How J.P. Morgan Enabled the Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. [21:35] Objection. [21:36] And also, an article dated July 17, 2025, in the Epstein case, follow the money. [21:43] Objection. [21:44] Okay. Thank you. [21:45] Gentleman from Maryland is recognized. [21:48] Thank you much. [21:50] Pursuant to Clause 2K6 of Rule 11, I move that the committee subpoena the CEOs of four banks, J.P. Morgan, that's Jamie Dimon, Bank of New York Mellon, Robin Vince, Bank of America Brian Moynihan, and Deutsche Bank Christian Sowing, [22:03] in order to get the suspicious transaction reports. [22:08] These four banks have flagged to the government $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions related to the sex trafficking crimes and conspiracy of Epstein, Maxwell, and all of their collaborators. [22:19] And as you know, Mr. Chairman, we got the SARS reports for Hunter Biden totaling around $20 million. [22:25] And so these $1.5 billion in SARS reports we should get, especially since the director doesn't seem to be forthcoming. [22:33] And I requested, you know, that we do this immediately. [22:36] I think the director has been very forthcoming. [22:38] We will hold any motion to subpoena and abeyance until the conclusion of the hearing. [22:41] The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas. [22:43] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [22:45] Thank you, Director Patel, for being here. [22:47] It is quite clear, it's quite clear that certain members of this committee, you know, they want their 15 seconds on TV, stamping and coming. [22:56] Maybe it's for fundraising. [22:57] Maybe they're struggling in their district. [22:58] They need a little bump. [23:00] But they turn a committee into a clown show, and that's what we're seeing. [23:05] You're being unjustly attacked today. [23:08] I watched the Senate hearings yesterday. [23:11] You were attacked there. [23:12] But we know there's an agenda. [23:14] There's always an agenda. [23:16] It's the same characters with the same personalities, the same objective, and that is destroy the mega movement. [23:24] You're being attacked, Director, is because you're effective. [23:29] You highlighted what you've been doing in D.C. with the president in reducing violent crime. [23:33] You're very effective. [23:35] Another individual that was very effective with meaningful debate and dialogue was Charlie Kirk, and they killed him for it. [23:45] Charlie Kirk was a man of faith, first and foremost. [23:52] He loved his Lord Jesus. [23:54] He loved his family. [23:56] Beautiful wife, beautiful children. [23:58] Just a remarkable, honorable man that was silenced with this assassin's bullet. [24:04] I would say if Charlie Kirk lived in the biblical times, he'd have been the 13th disciple. [24:16] He'd have been the 13th disciple. [24:20] We have a new committee. [24:22] If you're not aware, a new select committee we got on January 6th. [24:25] I'm honored to be on that committee. [24:26] I'm looking forward to working with other members to expose truth, questioning federal agencies that were involved on January 6th, like the FBI. [24:43] It played a role. [24:44] But we don't really know, Director, to what extent. [24:47] We don't know. [24:48] The January 6th sham committee was not formed by Nancy Pelosi to seek truth. [24:57] It was nothing about getting to the truth about January 6th. [25:00] Their sole mission was to damage Donald J. Trump and end his political career. [25:09] And everybody knows it. [25:10] That's what the purpose was. [25:13] You know what's nice? [25:14] So I kind of get to ask the question, though. [25:15] How did that work out for you? [25:17] Donald J. Trump is back in the White House. [25:20] And America loves him. [25:23] I spent 30 years in law enforcement. [25:24] Old retired sheriff from a large county of the great state of Texas. [25:30] I have seen, Director, I have seen more enthusiasm and support for law enforcement today. [25:35] Because of what you and Donald Trump have done over the last eight months to protect the American people. [25:43] The American people couldn't count on their government to protect them. [25:47] Crime is rampant. [25:49] And now we have a president and an administration that puts the American people and their safety first. [25:56] It's interesting. [25:56] A few minutes ago, I was, you know, a classmate reached out to me and sent me a, I told him, I said, [26:02] Yes, we got Director Patel in front of our committee today. [26:06] And Andy wanted me, Andy Cain wanted me to tell you. [26:10] He said, quote, [26:11] Tell him we love him. [26:13] Tell him we love him and all the brave warriors exposing the deep state. [26:19] Cash, you're a great American, sir. [26:21] You're a great American. [26:22] Your work as the director of the FBI is commendable. [26:26] It's commendable. [26:28] And I want to thank you, sir. [26:29] Thank you for your service. [26:31] Keep up the good fight, brother. [26:33] Don't let him tear you down. [26:34] Keep up that good fight. [26:35] You have it in you. [26:37] With that, sir, I yield back. [26:39] Gentlemen, yield to me. [26:45] Director Patel, there were 26, the gentleman mentioned the select committee. [26:50] There were 26 confidential human sources at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. [26:54] Four entered the Capitol and thereby broke the law. [26:57] Do you know if those individuals were being paid by the Ray FBI? [27:00] So we've provided 600 pages of documents to this committee alone regarding January 6. [27:09] That's 600 pages more than any of my predecessors. [27:12] Generally speaking, confidential human sources are always paid by the FBI. [27:16] That's how it works. [27:18] I can't speak to the specifics on each one and how much they made. [27:20] And we appreciate it. [27:21] We've reviewed some of that material and you've given us a lot of material that we didn't get from Director Ray. [27:25] That specific question I think is important to the American people. [27:27] Were people who were confidential human sources of the FBI who broke the law, one was recommended for prosecution, my understanding is, by the information we've received from you, were they actually paid by the very taxpayers who may have got charged with the same offense? [27:47] I think that's important for us to understand. [27:49] I'll get back to you on that. [27:50] Thank you. [27:51] Chair now recognizes the gentleman from California. [27:54] Thank you, Mr. Chair. [27:55] Welcome, Director Patel. [27:57] I'm going to focus a little bit on domestic terrorism. [28:01] We have a graph here, data up to 2021, but as you can tell, domestic terrorism is on the rise. [28:10] Nation, our citizens under threat. [28:12] We saw the assassination of Charlie Kirk. [28:15] Two assassination attempts on the president. [28:18] School shooting Minnesota last month. [28:21] And closer to home, just a couple days ago, Huntington Beach. [28:26] Peaceful vigil for Charlie Clark. [28:28] We're infiltrated by neo-Nazis who essentially made the local individuals attending that event fear for their safety. [28:37] All of us know that a lot of these domestic attacks are by lone wolves. [28:45] But yet they do leave clues, social media or elsewhere. [28:50] Director Patel, you're it. [28:53] You're the thin blue line. [28:54] The FBI, your job to protect our citizens back home from those that would harm us. [29:03] You have to find the needle in the haystack. [29:06] Takes a lot of work, a lot of resources. [29:09] Talking to my local sheriff this morning who said they're concerned. [29:14] Federal cuts. [29:16] Federal cuts to local grants that helped them do the job. [29:23] Then, of course, let's not forget about other threats that are coming before us, like high-tech fraud. [29:29] Local senior recently was talking to me about a text she had gotten. [29:34] A demand by the IRS to send a payment immediately or the IRS agents who are on their way to arrest this individual. [29:43] Pretty gutsy stuff. [29:46] By folks probably from Europe, North Korea, Russia, China. [29:49] People, okay, going after those precious savings our senior citizens rely on. [29:58] Yet the president's proposing a budget cut of $500 million or more to your organization, the FBI. [30:07] You've said that that will essentially equate to about 1,300 less jobs at the FBI. [30:16] So I'm going to ask you essentially, what is it that we can do to help you do your job? [30:22] A little concerned. [30:24] Friday night lights. [30:25] One of the events I love to do on Friday nights, go to the local high school football game. [30:31] Sit there at the stadium and you always say, what if? [30:35] What if? [30:36] You're the thin blue line. [30:38] Can you do your job cutting $500 million from your budget? [30:44] Thank you, sir. [30:45] I think we are doing our job. [30:47] And the distinction is, with the budget that we have, we are flexing more resources to the field. [30:55] California is receiving the largest FBI plus-up of any state in the union due to that plus-up. [31:01] They're not getting a reduction. [31:02] No state is getting a reduction. [31:04] Every state is getting a plus-up. [31:06] And so I'm utilizing the money that we have to first plus it up. [31:09] And the empty vacancies that we have, those haven't been filled in years, under my leadership. [31:15] Here's my concern. [31:17] You're going to do well. [31:18] You're doing more with less, is what you're saying. [31:21] Yet, we're about to vote on a budget that has $88 million more to protect members of Congress, the executive branch, and the Supreme Court. [31:35] There's a contradiction here. [31:38] Back on Main Street, we're saying you can do more with less. [31:41] You can protect them with less money. [31:43] Yet here in Washington, we're saying we need more money to protect members of Congress. [31:49] It's a little contradiction here. [31:50] Or maybe, sir, you ought to talk to leadership about coming in with your management style to protect the Supreme Court, Congress, and the administration. [32:00] Otherwise, it's essentially a hypocritical situation. [32:04] We need more protection, yet folks on Main Street can do with less. [32:10] My concern is folks on Main Street. [32:12] We also were, I think we received over $300 million in the big, beautiful bill. [32:18] And we're also receiving pots of money from our inner agency. [32:21] So this sort of $500 million cut isn't entirely accurate. [32:25] You're still getting cut $200 million plus. [32:29] You're still moving your agents to do ice work. [32:32] So you are leaving a lot of bases uncovered. [32:36] And I'm not going to be argumentative with you, Director Patel. [32:39] I'm just saying if that thin blue line does not hold, people on Main Street will pay the price. [32:47] I agree with you, sir. [32:48] And I just look forward to working with you because I am very concerned that these kinds of budget cuts are short-sighted, especially when my local sheriff calls me and says, we need more support. [32:59] And we're looking at budget cuts. [33:01] I'll work with you, sir. [33:02] Thank you, Mr. Chair. [33:03] I yield time. [33:05] Mr. Chairman, I have another unanimous consent request. [33:07] The gentleman yields back. [33:07] The gentleman from New York is recognized unanimous consent. [33:10] I seek to introduce a December 2024 OIG report from the Department of Justice, which confirms the conclusion of the Bill Barr Justice Department that the so-called whistleblower, a disgruntled former employee of the Intelligence Committee, was not a credible witness. [33:27] And there were no further actions taken. [33:31] Without objection. [33:32] Mr. Chair, I'd like to submit some items for the record. [33:35] You bet. [33:36] Gentleman from California. [33:37] First one, Trump's deportation diverts FBI agents off child predator cases. [33:42] Second one, FBI director backtracks on administration's proposed budget cuts. [33:46] And number three, Trump administration says 70 percent of ICE detainees do not have criminal convictions. [33:53] Without objection. [33:54] Gentleman from Texas is recognized. [33:57] Thank you. [33:57] Director, earlier this year the committee learned of new documents tied to the crossfire hurricane investigation and the Russia collusion hoax against President Trump. [34:07] Your efforts in declassifying key documents tied to this investigation allowed the committee to acquire thousands of pages that it did not have previously. [34:16] Did any of your predecessors make any effort to declassify these documents? [34:21] Not to the extent we have. [34:22] Did any of your predecessors share or leak any details that were classified at the time? [34:30] There are ongoing leak investigations across the board at the bureau related to this. [34:38] I believe one of those is Mr. Comey. [34:40] And I thank you for continuing that investigation. [34:42] Among the declassified documents are the Durham report annex, the crossfire binder, and the Nellie Orr criminal referral. [34:49] Could you summarize for those watching what we know about the Russia collusion hoax so far? [34:57] Well, sir, I think the record will speak. [34:59] I think that the Russia collusion matter was perpetrated by a political party to go overseas and obtain information from a foreign intelligence asset only to have that information, which was demonstrably false, turned over to the FBI who walked into a federal FISA secret court and asked for a secret surveillance court order and lied to the federal court. [35:22] And we know that because someone was convicted of it and only to surveil the political opponent. [35:27] So that is a massive scandal. [35:29] We helped expose it. [35:30] And in terms of the pages of productions, I provided 1400 pages of production related to Crossfire Hurricane and my predecessors have provided zero. [35:38] I appreciate that. [35:39] And I appreciate your courage and commitment to declassifying these important documents for our review and hope that you'll continue with this commitment. [35:46] Can we expect to see more declassification efforts regarding the Crossfire Hurricane and Russia collusion hoax? [35:52] Yes. [35:53] Thank you. [35:53] I yield the remaining balance of my time to Chairman Jordan. [35:56] Oh, I thank the gentleman for yielding. [35:58] And, Director, that's when it all started, right? [36:01] The whole Russia. [36:01] That's when it all began. [36:04] And then it was Mueller. [36:05] Then it was impeachment. [36:06] Then it was Jack Smith and Fonnie Willis and Alvin Bragg and you name it. [36:11] But it all started then. [36:12] And that's why I think the gentleman from Texas wants to make sure we get all the information there. [36:16] And I want to go back to when it was changed. [36:18] We talked about this earlier. [36:19] I just want to read to you what the CIA officer said to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. [36:30] Quote, Brennan refused to remove the dossier. [36:32] And when confronted with the dossier's main flaws, he responded, yes, but doesn't it ring true? [36:38] So that's what he initially said. [36:40] And then when he was talking to this committee, he said the CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment. [36:52] So on one hand, you got a witness who was there who said he refused to remove it, even though he knew it was garbage. [36:58] And then he's, on the other hand, telling the committee, no, no, no, we didn't want anything to do with it. [37:02] It shouldn't have been a part of the Intelligence Community Assessment, which we know it was. [37:06] You know it was. [37:06] You found that. [37:08] Those are two entirely different stories. [37:10] I think Mr. Brennan has some explaining to do, frankly, what happened there. [37:16] And I think you said earlier that this whole thing, and I think you said to Mr. Gooden, [37:19] this whole thing is being looked at as part of this grand conspiracy to undermine the president, [37:24] whether it's Comey, Brennan, Clapper, former head of the Intelligence Committee, now Senator from Canada, whoever it is, that's all being looked at. [37:31] Is that accurate? [37:32] Yes, sir. [37:33] Well, we appreciate that. [37:34] And part of what's also being looked at, and I think the gentleman from Wisconsin brought this up earlier, what is a burn bag for, by the way? [37:43] Generally speaking, the intelligence community obviously utilizes and possesses classified documents, [37:48] but drafts of those classified documents and even ultimate finished products of those classified documents have to be recorded and or discarded. [37:56] And if they are discarded, the only way we do that, the hard copies, is we literally put them in burn bags that are identified specifically for that purpose. [38:05] And there is a very exact courier system in which those burn bags are obtained and the material inside is destroyed. [38:12] So it's to get rid of the material, right? [38:14] Yes, sir. [38:15] And it looks like the annex that Mr. Durham and his investigation had was put into a burn bag by your predecessor, I assume, to be destroyed. [38:26] Is that accurate? [38:28] Without getting into the stylization of the evidence, anything that's put in a burn bag is for purposes of destruction. [38:34] Do you find that interesting that the Durham annex was placed in a burn bag, that you would discover that when you took over as the head of the FBI? [38:41] We found a lot of information in a lot of burn bags. [38:45] Well, we appreciate you finding that. [38:47] We'd like to know a little bit more about that, and we look forward to that information coming forward. [38:51] And I appreciate the gentleman yielding. [38:52] With that, we now recognize the gentleman from Colorado. [38:55] Thank you. [38:57] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. [38:59] Thank you, Director Patel, for being here today. [39:02] I have a couple of questions regarding a terrible shooting that occurred in Colorado, a state, as you may know, that I represent. [39:10] You've testified previously about, I think, what you would describe as your efforts to provide more information regarding the investigation with respect to the horrific assassination of Mr. Kirk. [39:22] And so, in that same vein, I'm hoping you can provide this committee and my constituents in Colorado with some clarity. [39:28] Absolutely. [39:29] I think, as my colleagues know, in Evergreen, Colorado, Jefferson County, a county that I proudly represent at Evergreen High School, a shooter ultimately injured. [39:38] Two students were praying for their swift recovery. [39:40] There's an article here from Colorado Public Radio. [39:43] The title is, quote, FBI was already investigating an account that may have been linked to the Evergreen shooter. [39:49] You're familiar with the circumstances generally, Director, regarding this terrible tragedy. [39:55] So, my understanding from the public reporting is that an organization reported to the FBI in July of this year regarding, just reading here from the article, [40:06] that the FBI opened an assessment into a social media account user whose identity was unknown and who was discussing the planning of a mass shooting with threats non-specific in nature. [40:14] This is the FBI's statement to the press. [40:16] And that the FBI continued to work this assessment investigation to identify the name and location of the user up until September 10, 2025, which was the day of the tragedy. [40:24] Can you provide us some clarity on what were the impediments to finding the account user and maybe describe in greater detail the FBI's work in that regard? [40:35] Generally speaking, yes, because I know even though the shooter's deceased, the investigation is, we're not done. [40:42] And so the impediments to finding these individuals, and you highlight a great point, we had two huge tragedies in the span of days in this country. [40:51] The school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado, being one of them. [40:55] And proactively going out onto these social media platforms, which are so large, is our biggest impediment. [41:03] And we need to rely on the service providers. [41:06] There's actual legislation, I can't remember the name of it, that's up for renewal, which will, and I think at the end of the month, [41:11] which gives service providers the ability to report that information in from their end without liability. [41:18] We need that to continue, because while the FBI has so many people and the police are great at doing it, there's just too many platforms to cover down on. [41:25] Well, I appreciate that, Director Patel, and I think we're certainly – I'm interested in continuing this conversation, [41:31] because I think the reporting suggests that there's a pattern, and that ultimately we want to make sure that law enforcement is able to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening in the future. [41:43] I have a question. [41:44] It's not meant as a gotcha question, so just frame it there. [41:47] But it is in regards to some reporting around a periodic transaction report that you had filed earlier – a periodic transaction report that you had filed earlier this year. [41:57] So this is in July, pursuant to the ethical obligations as a senior executive official. [42:03] You remember filing that in July? [42:06] Yes. [42:06] So in that report, as best as I can surmise, you disclosed that you divested $100,000 or more in a variety of different stocks, [42:16] which I presume was pursuant to the ethics agreement that you negotiated with the Department of Justice. [42:21] In that same report, there's a disclosure regarding purchases of two different – well, rather, two different transactions. [42:28] So between $15,000 to $50,000 in a national coffeehouse chain and between $50,000 to $100,000 in a semiconductor company on May 9th and May 12th. [42:38] Are those transactions that you're doing personally, are these through a stockbroker, or are these transactions that you're handling yourself? [42:46] So how they happen is I submit proposals under DOJ guidance to say, hey, I would like to trade this or that. [42:55] And they run their review, and the FBI runs a review, and then they come back and say yes or no, and then I make the transaction. [43:00] Is there a reason that you decided to make the purchases into those two companies? [43:05] Generally speaking, before I got this job, I was trading stocks, but not a lot like most people, and I just follow certain industries, you know, and I thought that would be a good investment. [43:19] So my – the reason why I ask, right, because you had divested in other companies, and I presume that that wasn't because there were actual conflicts. [43:27] It's just that you wanted to avoid an appearance of impropriety. [43:31] It was both. [43:31] Both. [43:32] But not all of the companies were conflicts. [43:35] Whatever – they made the – I don't make the call. [43:37] They make the call. [43:38] I guess my point would be – the reason why I ask is why I said it's not a gotcha question. [43:42] I have for years led an effort here in Congress to try to ban members of Congress, senior executive officials, from trading stocks. [43:49] And it's bipartisan in nature. [43:50] We're working really hard to get that done, Republicans and Democrats. [43:53] And you can understand, I think, given your role, given the nature of the position that you hold as the leader of the largest law enforcement agency in our country, [44:01] that divesting entirely, not, you know, doing day trading now, I think would be something that would be in the interest of the American people. [44:09] So I just would hope you would consider that, and that moving forward, that perhaps not purchasing stocks in individual companies, [44:16] I would think would be something that would be worth pursuing. [44:19] Gentlemen – gentlemen's time is – [44:20] If you – I'm happy to give the witness an opportunity to – [44:22] Thank you. [44:23] I'll work with you on it. [44:24] Gentlemen from Alabama is recognized. [44:26] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [44:27] Thank you, Director Patel, for being here today. [44:29] Newly declassified documents confirm that the intelligence community, under President Barack Obama, [44:36] knowingly relied on unverified and fraudulent evidence to manufacture a false claim that Russia, in fact, meddled in the 2016 election. [44:45] Is there more to be done to uncover the depths and origins of the Russian collusion hoax? [44:50] There is, and we're doing it. [44:53] Why should Americans still care about that, Director Patel? [44:56] Everybody wants to talk about a weaponized bureaucracy. [44:59] And when we put out the facts about a weaponized bureaucracy, not because I said so, but because we found the FISA documents, [45:06] because we found the 302s and the 1023s, then it becomes a political football. [45:10] My job is to continue to put out that information and let the American public read it for themselves when I'm lawfully able to do so. [45:18] And that's been my commitment on any subject, Russiagate or otherwise. [45:21] Wherever the law allows me to do it, I will do it. [45:24] You know, the one when I first came in in 2020, the number one concern as I was doing town halls was the weaponization of the government against the American citizen. [45:32] And so are there things that you're doing, structural reforms that implementing so that the FBI cannot be weaponized again, whether it's against President Trump or future elected presidents? [45:41] Well, it shouldn't be weaponized against anyone. [45:43] And the structural reform is simple. [45:44] If you're going to go after a political individual or someone seeking political office, there has to be a grounded basis in law and fact to open up a criminal investigation. [45:56] And if there's not, the investigation isn't even opened. [45:58] And I've also gone back and reviewed other cases that were opened in prior administrations related to public officials. [46:05] And we've closed a number of them because we felt that some of these actions were weaponized on either side of the aisle. [46:12] I felt it wholly inappropriate for the FBI to be playing umpire and referee amongst these decision makers when there was no factual or legal basis to continue those investigations. [46:21] So I shut them down. [46:22] And I think that's so desperately needed because we need to restore trust in law enforcement and certainly in the DOJ and the FBI so that American people don't fear the very government that is supposed to protect them. [46:34] And so thank you for doing that. [46:35] On August 11th, you released to the committee documents concerning leak investigations that began in 2017. [46:42] Do you believe these leaks were accidental or were they intentional in order to influence public opinion against President Trump? [46:48] When I could publicly make a final decision on that, either through a recommendation of charging that the DOJ makes or findings that I have, I'm able to do so. [46:56] But they're still not complete. [46:59] Why did the FBI under Director Comey want to undermine the Trump administration? [47:03] I don't know. [47:03] You'll have to ask him. [47:04] I think it might have been political. [47:09] How will Director Comey be held accountable for his leaks in classified information concerning the Russian collusion hoax? [47:15] Well, anyone. [47:16] It doesn't matter what you did before or what seat you were in. [47:18] If you leak classified information, that's illegal. [47:22] And we will investigate it fully. [47:24] And if we can bring enough evidence to recommend charges to the Department of Justice, we will. [47:29] But as you know, in these leak investigations, it's very difficult to produce the information necessary. [47:34] We know leaks happen. [47:36] They literally happen every week. [47:37] It's one of the most destructive things to this country. [47:40] Media receives classified information beneficial to one side or the other. [47:43] I'm a fan of none of it. [47:45] And I want to shut all of it down. [47:47] And we need to bring some real cases to deter individuals from doing that. [47:51] And that's my focus. [47:52] What was Comey's role in creating the ICA? [47:58] Speaking from my memory, as the head of the FBI, he was charged under then Director Brennan and Director Clapper and the other IC elements to come in with the NSA, CIA, FBI and ODNI and put together a collection of information on how the information sort of surrounding Russia came together. [48:19] So he represented the FBI and that was former director CIA, John Brennan. [48:24] He's denied that the Steele dossier was used in creating the ICA. [48:27] Is that true? [48:28] Well, without commenting on him, the FISA has been released and the dossier was in the FISA. [48:36] It was in four FISAs. [48:38] So I'll let the public decide. [48:40] Well, former Director Brennan actually denied repeatedly that he pushed for the Steele dossier to be included in the ICA. [48:47] Is that true? [48:49] Did not. [48:51] I'll let his testimony speak for itself. [48:53] But then Deputy Director Andy McCabe also testified to the House Intelligence Committee, which has now been declassified, that were there no Steele dossier, there would have been no FISA. [49:03] Well, my time's getting close. [49:05] But let me tell you this, sir. [49:06] And I'll well, my colleague from Texas said, thank you for the job you're doing. [49:10] You're making the American people safe. [49:12] You're making you're restoring trust in these agencies that we so many of us had lost trust in. [49:17] So thank you for the work you're doing, that thin blue line. [49:20] You're doing a fine job. [49:21] And we want to let you know we appreciate it. [49:23] Thank you. [49:24] God bless you. [49:26] Eddie from California is recognized. [49:28] Thank you, Mr. Chair. [49:29] And thank you, Director, for coming here today. [49:32] And actually, thank you for your response to my colleague from New York who asked you earlier about violent extremism. [49:41] And you said that there is violent extreme ideology on both sides. [49:46] And I think you actually alluded to that same statement yesterday in the Senate. [49:52] So I, too, have some questions I'd like to ask you. [49:56] These are not gotcha questions. [49:58] And just deny, please, what you deem to be false. [50:03] So Dylan Roof, who followed white supremacist propaganda, murdered nine black parishioners in Charleston in 2015. [50:12] Do you deny this? [50:14] I'm sorry. [50:15] Dylan Roof? [50:17] Roof? [50:17] Roof? [50:18] Can you give me some more information? [50:21] Head of the FBI, you probably know this. [50:23] If you don't know, that's fine. [50:25] If you can give me a reminder, I've got a lot in front of me. [50:28] It was national news. [50:30] Robert Bowers murdered 11 Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh in 2018. [50:35] I do remember that. [50:36] And it was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack. [50:38] So do you admit that that happened? [50:40] I'm not saying the other thing didn't happen. [50:42] I'm just asking for a little information. [50:43] Patrick Cruces, who posted a manifesto about a Hispanic invasion, walked into a Walmart in El Paso, Texas in 2019 and began firing. [50:54] He murdered 23 people that day, and the youngest was 15. [50:59] Do you admit or deny that that happened? [51:03] I'll take your presentation as accurate. [51:05] All right. [51:06] Well, I have to say all of these cases have been adjudicated. [51:09] As I said, they are not gotcha questions. [51:11] These incidents were national news. [51:13] So, and as director of the FBI, you have access to all of this information. [51:18] So in 2022, Peyton Grendon walked into a supermarket in a black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, and started shooting. [51:25] He murdered 10 people that day. [51:28] And on September 10th, your friend Charlie Kirk was assassinated. [51:33] Tyler Robinson has been taken into custody and charged. [51:36] But also on that day, Desmond Holly, a 16-year-old white male, shot and injured two students at a high school in Colorado before killing himself. [51:45] And according to the Anti-Defamation League, he had a fascination with mass shootings and white supremacy. [51:52] So do you admit to, deny these facts? [51:56] Those happened. [51:57] Okay. [51:59] Your predecessor, former FBI Director Christopher Wray, said that one of the most dangerous concerns is that racially motivated violent extremism, especially white supremacists, has been the biggest chunk of our domestic terrorism cases and is responsible for the most lethal attacks over the last decade. [52:20] Do you admit or deny, A, that he said this? [52:24] I'll let the reference reflect that. [52:26] Whatever he said was what he said. [52:27] All right. [52:27] And do you agree? [52:30] That there is racially motivated crimes being committed in America? [52:33] Yes. [52:34] Yes, especially white supremacists, which is the biggest chunk of our domestic terrorism. [52:39] I'm glad that you said this. [52:41] So last week, President Trump was asked if there were extremists on both the left and the right. [52:48] He was actually asked this by Fox and Friends. [52:51] And his exact words were, I'll tell you something that's going to get me in trouble, but I couldn't care less. [52:57] Yes. [52:57] The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime. [53:02] The radicals on the left are the problem, and they're vicious, and they're horrible, and they're politically savvy. [53:07] Do you agree with the president? [53:09] I don't speak for the president. [53:11] The president speaks for himself. [53:12] Do you agree with the president? [53:14] On what matter? [53:15] On the question that I just asked, do you agree with his statement about the radical left? [53:20] That there's ideology that's driving violence on both sides? [53:24] Yes, that's what he acknowledged. [53:25] No, he didn't. [53:27] He didn't. [53:27] But I'm glad that you're saying that and actually creating some separation between you and the president. [53:33] And I'm glad that you are acknowledging that there is violent extremism on both sides. [53:38] What's interesting is that the research arm of the Department of Justice, the National Institute of Justice, do you know what that is? [53:46] I'm familiar with them. [53:47] Okay, great. [53:48] It is the research arm of the Department of Justice, and it published an article in 2024 devoted to domestic radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism. [53:59] I have it. [54:01] It's interesting that it's no longer on the website. [54:04] It has been scrubbed. [54:05] But I ask these questions because what makes a strong, qualified director of any business, of any household, of the FBI, what makes a reputable prosecutor is not lapdog loyalty, [54:18] but a commitment to the creed that evidence is agnostic and that the evidence will lead you to making the right decisions. [54:25] And your job, no one's job, is to like the data or the evidence. [54:29] It is to collect it. [54:31] That is how you gain trust. [54:33] And, Mr. Chair, I would like to enter into the record, if I may. [54:38] White supremacist group stands by racist ideology. [54:43] With unanimous consent. [54:45] Without objection. [54:46] Dylan Roof, the radicalization of the alt-right and ritualized racial violence. [54:53] Without objection. [54:54] Thank you. [54:54] Another article, how Robert Bowers went from conservative to white nationalist. [55:00] I'd like to enter that into the record with unanimous. [55:02] Without objection. [55:03] Patrick Crucis believed he was fulfilling Trump's wishes in El Paso attack, his attorney said. [55:10] I'd like to enter into the record. [55:11] Without objection. [55:12] Buffalo shooting, how far-right killers are radicalized online. [55:18] I'd like to enter that into the record. [55:19] Without objection. [55:19] Evergreen High School Shooters online activity reveals fascination with mass shootings. [55:27] White supremacy. [55:29] I'd like to enter that into the record. [55:30] Without objection. [55:31] Murder and extremism in the United States in 2024. [55:36] A report by the Anti-Defamation League. [55:39] I'd like to enter that into the record. [55:40] Without objection. [55:40] And the article, the report that was scrubbed from the DOJ just recently, National Institute [55:48] of Justice Journal focusing on domestic radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism. [55:54] I'd like to enter that into the record. [55:55] Without objection. [55:55] And lastly, the libertarian think tank, Cato, and their analysis on violent extremism and [56:04] the right rising in extremist acts. [56:08] I'd like to enter that into the record. [56:09] Without objection. [56:10] Thank you. [56:10] And I yield back. [56:11] Gentle lady yields back. [56:12] Gentle lady from Wyoming is recognized. [56:15] Just very quickly. [56:17] Director Patel, thank you for being here for your service to this country and for the transparency [56:22] that you have brought to the FBI and for the American people. [56:28] Transparency that was absolutely non-existent in the Biden administration and FBI. [56:33] I believe that you might have been asked earlier about whether you had had an opportunity [56:37] to visit with any of Epstein's legal counsel. [56:40] Were you asked that question earlier? [56:42] I think so. [56:43] Okay. [56:44] One of the legal counsels or legal fixtures for Mr. Epstein was Stacey Plaskett, the [56:50] Democrat delegate to Congress from the Virgin Islands. [56:53] So perhaps for those on the other side who are interested in talking to Jeffrey Epstein's [56:57] attorneys, they can sure visit with one of their own colleagues. [57:02] I want to focus on something that I think is very important that has not been addressed [57:07] enough today. [57:08] And that is related to the consequences of the Biden open border. [57:12] One consequence of the Biden border crisis is the impact that it continues to have on our [57:19] tribal communities. [57:21] With the cartels taking advantage of our open borders, the Mexican drug cartels, by infiltrating [57:29] our reservations and bringing violence, drugs, murder, trafficking, and more. [57:35] Last year when I questioned the Attorney General Garland about what the DOJ was doing to protect [57:40] these communities, he simply deflected responsibility and said that Congress had not appropriated [57:46] sufficient resources for them to be able to protect our tribal communities. [57:52] Mr. Patel, what is the Trump FBI doing to counter the drug cartel infiltration and other [57:59] violent crime targeting our Native American communities? [58:04] Thank you. [58:05] It only took more than half of this proceeding to talk about one of the priorities that the [58:09] FBI has, which is crimes on tribal lands. [58:13] Every single crime that we have been talking about, whether it's child predators, human [58:18] trafficking, narco traffickers, murder, they all happen on tribal lands as well. [58:24] And I've said since the beginning, it is a priority, which is why we launched Operation [58:28] Not Forgotten on tribal lands. [58:30] And I'm the first FBI director to meet with the staff and tribal leaders here in Washington, [58:35] D.C. and elsewhere, and invited them into my office and headquarters to see them because [58:41] I need engagement with tribal leadership and I need our police and FBI agents to be engaging [58:45] with tribal leadership. [58:46] Otherwise, we're not going to break through. [58:48] We have 1,900 Indian country cases open right now. [58:51] We've got 600 indictments this year alone. [58:54] We cannot forget tribal lands. [58:56] Every single one of those people lives in the United States of America, and it is an absolute [59:00] priority to protect them and their children, just as it is anyone else. [59:03] So I think it's fair to say that what Mary Garland testified to, that the FBI and DOJ [59:10] did not have the resources to address that. [59:12] I think that that was an absolutely false statement. [59:14] Would you agree with me? [59:16] It's a decision by him not to do so. [59:17] That's not my decision. [59:18] At the end of August, the U.S. [59:20] attorney and FBI announced that nearly 100 personnel representing members of the Safe Trails [59:26] Task Force operated near Wyoming's Wind River Reservation to assist with reducing drug trafficking [59:32] and illegal guns. [59:34] Director Patel, you have routinely stated that it is your mission to partner with and strengthen [59:39] local and state law enforcement partners. [59:41] How does the task force and other FBI efforts bring tribal law enforcement into this process? [59:47] The major problem with tribal lands is the sheer tyranny of geography and the amount of coverage [59:54] that they have on land versus the personal they have to do it. [59:58] So what we've done is constantly surge resources to tribal lands across this country on a 30, [1:00:04] 60, 90-day rotating basis, reporting back to us saying, who needs more? [1:00:08] And what we found is that most of these lands can be assisted by our counter-UAS program, [1:00:14] our drone capabilities, and we're going to do it. [1:00:16] Because what's happening is the Mexican drug cartels are literally flying overhead, dropping [1:00:21] their cargo, their narcotics, onto this land where no one's looking, and then it's being [1:00:25] disseminated to children, to youth, to adults on that land, and killing them. [1:00:29] And we've got to stop it before it gets dropped off. [1:00:33] Well, and your testimony proves that the Biden administration did not lack the resources to [1:00:38] address drug and violent crime in tribal communities or around the United States. [1:00:43] It instead expended and wasted these resources investigating parents, Catholics, we now find [1:00:50] out, Turning Point USA, the RNC, and Republican organizations, rather than protecting our Native [1:00:57] Americans by closing the border. [1:00:59] Is that fair? [1:01:00] I think so. [1:01:01] Wonderful. [1:01:01] Thank you. [1:01:02] And I do appreciate the work that you've done in this regard. [1:01:05] I was previously the chairman of the subcommittee on the Indian and Insular Affairs with the [1:01:11] Natural Resources Committee, and safety and security on our reservations and for our tribal [1:01:16] members has been one of our priorities, one of my priorities, and I very much appreciate [1:01:21] the work that the FBI has done. [1:01:23] Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you. [1:01:26] And with that, I yield back. [1:01:27] I will, ma'am. [1:01:28] Gentleman yields back. [1:01:29] The gentlelady from Georgia is recognized. [1:01:31] Thank you, Chairman, and thank you for coming in today, Mr. Patel. [1:01:35] In the past few months, the country has experienced a string of horrific, high-profile attacks that [1:01:42] have been motivated by racial hatred or political ideology. [1:01:46] Shooter attacked the CDC headquarters, firing hundreds of rounds and killing a police officer. [1:01:52] An arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro's residence, with the governor and [1:01:57] his family actually inside. [1:01:59] Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated earlier this year. [1:02:04] Mr. Clark and Charlie Kirk was murdered last week. [1:02:08] Bomb threats have been made against HBCUs and the DNC, and just the list goes on and on. [1:02:14] I only have just a few minutes today, so I don't want to take a lot of time to go into [1:02:18] all the countless and devastating violent crimes and incidents that have happened at our schools [1:02:23] or on our streets and in our communities that have just been happening all year long. [1:02:27] Mr. Patel, just yes or no, is this type of political violence ever acceptable in your eyes? [1:02:33] No. [1:02:34] I'm glad that we agree that these heinous acts designed to instill fear and division [1:02:41] in our nation are never, ever acceptable, yet each of these incidents has recently taken [1:02:46] place under your watch. [1:02:49] The FBI's website states that protecting the United States from terrorist acts is the FBI's [1:02:55] number one priority, including from domestic terrorists. [1:02:58] Is this still your number one priority? [1:03:01] Domestic terrorism? [1:03:03] Preventing domestic terrorism. [1:03:04] Our number one priorities are protecting the homeland and international terrorism [1:03:08] and crushing violent crime, and domestic terrorism sort of interlays between both of those. [1:03:13] Okay. [1:03:13] So, well, then I'm glad that you're giving us the right answer, but unfortunately, [1:03:18] your actions kind of tell a different story. [1:03:21] Earlier this year, you granted the ranks of the FBI's domestic terrorism operation section. [1:03:26] This is the section of the FBI that is most directly responsible for addressing political [1:03:32] violence in our country by preventing attacks from occurring and effectively responding to [1:03:37] them if they do. [1:03:39] The agents in this section are the ones who stopped an individual stockpiling weapons, who [1:03:43] plan to attack schools and churches in Florida and seize bombs made by an ISIS sympathizer in [1:03:50] New Orleans. [1:03:51] And instead of ensuring that this section has all the resources that it needs at a time when [1:03:57] its mission is critical, you fired its decorated veteran FBI agents who have served their country [1:04:05] proudly under Republican and both Democratic presidents, and you scrapped the tools that they [1:04:11] develop to fight domestic terrorism, including the National Domestic Terrorism Incident Database. [1:04:16] I mean, most of that is just not true. [1:04:20] We have 1,700 current DT-managed programs. [1:04:23] We're up 300 percent in the amount of cases we brought against nihilistic, violent extremists, [1:04:28] including 764, wishing to harm our children. [1:04:31] The FBI and the men and women are getting after that problem set more than ever because I've [1:04:35] unleashed them to do so. [1:04:37] In any situation that these tragic occurrences across the country are somehow singularly my fault [1:04:43] are disgusting because that watershed goes down to the men and women at the FBI, and they [1:04:48] are not responsible for it. [1:04:50] I'm happy to work with you to get them what they need. [1:04:53] The gentlelady controls the time. [1:04:55] Unanimous consent request. [1:04:56] She'll state a request. [1:04:57] Thank you very much. [1:04:58] And to the record, an article from Reuters tout FBI scales-backed staffing, tracking of [1:05:03] domestic terrorism probes sources say. [1:05:05] Thank you very much. [1:05:06] Not objection. [1:05:07] I appreciate that. [1:05:07] So, Mr. Patel, and it isn't just the domestic terrorism operations section. [1:05:12] Under your watch, agents are fully diverting their attention to these anti-immigrant and [1:05:17] city takeover operations, leaving our children vulnerable to dangerous networks of online [1:05:22] predators, both domestic and international. [1:05:25] You pulled more than 120 FBI agents from their normal duties to operate sobriety checks and [1:05:33] conduct traffic stops, exposing the FBI's fleet of unmarked cars, and thereby making it harder [1:05:40] for the FBI to combat violent criminal gangs, foreign intelligence services, and drug traffickers [1:05:47] in the process. [1:05:49] That's simply not true. [1:05:50] If we were not able to do two things at one time, how would we be seizing record amounts [1:05:54] of fentanyl? [1:05:55] I reclaim my time. [1:05:55] I reclaim my time. [1:05:55] 23,000 violent felons have been arrested. [1:05:58] I'm the longs of the gentlelady. [1:05:59] More than twice as many as last. [1:06:00] I'm the longs of the gentlelady from Georgia. [1:06:01] Thank you very much, and this request basically is, it is an article from Reuters, which quotes [1:06:09] law enforcement officers familiar with agents who once covered child exploitation cases, but [1:06:13] now focus on immigration-tiled exclusive, thousands of agents diverted to Trump immigration track [1:06:19] down. [1:06:20] Mr. Patel, in the short time I have left, your tenure is direct. [1:17:15] So congratulations, J.J. [1:17:16] B. [1:17:17] January 6th. [1:17:18] And Trump's MAGA base lambasted you online for keeping him at the FBI, so he's no longer [1:17:25] at the FBI. [1:17:27] You also fired a decorated combat veteran with decades of experience in the bureau, Special [1:17:32] Agent Walter Giardia, because he worked on the investigation into the Russian interference [1:17:40] in the 2016 presidential election and helped investigate Trump's ally, Peter Navarro. [1:17:47] Director Patel, it is very clear that you have flunked your own test. [1:17:52] You've put saving your job, which I actually believe you were being honest about during [1:17:57] your confirmation hearings, over doing what's right for the FBI and the American people. [1:18:04] That is not adherence to the law. [1:18:08] Thank you. [1:18:09] And I yield back. [1:18:12] Tom and the gentlelady is inspired. [1:18:13] The chair now recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina. [1:18:16] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:18:17] Director Patel, it's great to have this opportunity. [1:18:20] Thank you for being here. [1:18:21] Thank you for your service. [1:18:22] And I've got to say, one of the most disheartening components of the previous administration, [1:18:27] when I was working with local law enforcement all over the state of North Carolina, all over [1:18:31] the country, people rightfully did not really care about the inner world. [1:18:35] It's important for this FBI to be transparent without jeopardizing our investigations. [1:18:39] So a little bit of the timeline is important. [1:18:41] Charlie Kirk was unfortunately assassinated on September 10th. [1:18:44] We immediately the next day released images early in the day in local time in Utah to start [1:18:49] the public partnership in our manhunt for the assassin and culprits. [1:18:53] At approximately 5 p.m. local time, I arrived on the ground and walked the crime scene myself, [1:18:59] and we flew multiple FBI assets in and out to process DNA simultaneously while bringing [1:19:04] in evidence response technicians, hostage rescue teams, and other experts to assist state [1:19:08] and local law enforcement with their investigation. [1:19:11] At 8 p.m. local on September 11th, the FBI collected and populated and promulgated at a [1:19:16] press conference a video of the suspect on the grounds. [1:19:20] We also released enhanced images. [1:19:23] Due to that release that I directed and ordered, the suspect involved was apprehended and in custody [1:19:29] at 10 p.m. local time. [1:19:30] That's less than two hours after we did the video release and the photo release. [1:19:34] So within 33 hours, that individual suspect was in custody. [1:19:38] And his family, who has since been interrogated, specifically stated to FBI interrogators that [1:19:44] because of the video that the FBI released at my direction and because of the photographs [1:19:48] that they released, they identified their son. [1:19:50] They confronted their son when he swung by their home. [1:19:52] And that's what led to his apprehension. [1:19:55] We are still, the FBI has that investigation ongoing and it continues to be ongoing. [1:20:00] And I want to thank the state of Utah and the state and local authorities there. [1:20:04] And I also want to thank the Attorney General President Trump for directing resources to [1:20:07] allow us to conduct that investigation as we have. [1:20:12] Under this administration, the FBI has arrested more than 23,000 violent criminals, 23,000 in [1:20:18] seven months. [1:20:19] That's twice as many year to date last year. [1:20:22] We've taken over 6000 firearms off the streets, 6000 guns are no longer in the hands of criminals [1:20:28] in seven months. [1:20:29] We've identified and found and located 4700 child victims. [1:20:35] That is a 35% increase year to date last year. [1:20:39] We have arrested 1500 child predators. [1:20:42] That is a 10% increase year to date last year in just seven months. [1:20:46] We have assisted our partners with countless counterterrorism operations around the world. [1:20:52] We've captured at the FBI four of the most top 10 wanted fugitives in the world in seven [1:20:58] months. [1:20:59] To put that in perspective, that's as many as my predecessor nabbed in the entirety of [1:21:02] the Biden administration. [1:21:04] We got four. [1:21:05] We got more coming. [1:21:06] On top of that, in two weeks, thanks to the help of the CIA, we collected and captured one [1:21:11] of the individuals responsible for the horrific Abbey Gate bombing that led to the murder of [1:21:15] 13 service members. [1:21:17] We did that in two weeks. [1:21:18] They didn't do it in the four years of the entire priority prior administration nationwide. [1:21:23] We've been executing our Operation Summer Heap, the FBI's national focus on targeting [1:21:30] violent crime based on intelligence driven operations. [1:21:33] Ask the citizens of Seattle, Miami, Memphis, Charlotte, Chicago, New Orleans to specifically [1:21:38] highlight New Orleans and Nashville. [1:21:40] There has been a 250 percent increase in violent crime arrest in those cities alone and other [1:21:47] mid-major cities that I've just listed. [1:21:49] In just a few short months, we have already unleashed 1,000 FBI personnel across this country. [1:21:57] Every single state across this country is getting a plus up. [1:22:00] This is a fiction that the FBI is short or that we are compromising the men and women in [1:22:05] the field. [1:22:06] We do not need to be in Washington, D.C., so we're sending them into the field to each [1:22:09] and every one of your states. [1:22:11] Because of that, crime is at an all-time low. [1:22:15] We had to do it because of the explosion of crime. [1:22:18] And maybe the most important stat for Americans to realize, in just seven months, we are on [1:22:24] track to produce the lowest murder rate in modern U.S. history by double digits. [1:22:31] Those are results not of mine. [1:22:33] Those are results of the men and women of the FBI. [1:22:35] If you want to criticize me, bring it on. [1:22:37] But do not attack the brave leaders in the field. [1:22:40] We are also working 24-7, 365, and on the opioid epidemic that is killing more than hundreds [1:22:46] of thousands of people a year. [1:22:48] We have seen 1,600 kilograms of fentanyl off the streets so far in seven months. [1:22:52] Year-to-date, 25 percent increase. [1:22:54] To put that in perspective, that's enough to kill a third of the American population, [1:22:58] 120 million Americans. [1:23:01] 100,000 kilograms of cocaine and meth gone off the streets. [1:23:05] Earlier this year, I highlighted in Cincinnati, Ohio, how we're getting creative to chase [1:23:09] down those that were willing to do harm to our citizens, not just by striking at the heart [1:23:14] of the fentanyl producers, but the fentanyl precursor companies in China. [1:23:18] And we indicted for the first time multiple companies and individuals, not just in America, [1:23:22] but in mainland China, that are producing the ingredients that produce and make fentanyl [1:23:27] that kill our children. [1:23:28] And we are going to keep going. [1:23:30] Counterterrorism work, cyber attacks, and foreign adversaries are something the FBI must never [1:23:34] sleep on, and we are not sleeping. [1:23:36] In the counterintelligence space alone, this year, year-to-date, 30 percent increase in [1:23:41] counterintelligence arrests from the DPRK, Russia, Iran, and China. [1:23:46] And I want the American people to know, in this setting, there's a lot of work that the [1:23:49] brave men and women in the FBI are doing we just can't get into. [1:23:52] But they don't stop. [1:23:53] There are cyber threats, ransomware attacks, those harming our children online. [1:23:57] We have nearly a 20 percent increase in indictments and arrests in seven months alone this year. [1:24:02] We're going after those that harm our malware, infrastructure systems, telecom systems, and [1:24:07] energy structure. [1:24:08] Combating salt and vault typhoons are just a little bit of the examples we're doing. [1:24:12] Maybe most importantly under the counterterrorism and domestic terrorism umbrella are nihilist, [1:24:16] violent extremists, and those that label themselves 764 who wish to go online and convince children [1:24:24] to maim and mutilate themselves and commit suicide. [1:24:28] And we are producing record numbers of arrests under that umbrella organization. [1:24:32] We even stopped an individual in the 764 network who wanted to conspire to kill an adolescent girl. [1:24:39] He is now in custody. [1:24:41] Transparency means one of my main priorities at the FBI. [1:24:44] And this is what I've done in my seven months at the helm. [1:24:47] We've produced more than 33,000 pages of documents to Congress to a variety of committees, including, [1:24:53] I believe, 7,500 to this committee alone, if memory serves me correct. [1:24:59] To put the 33,000 in perspective, my predecessor in seven years produced 13,000 pages in total [1:25:06] to the United States Congress. [1:25:07] His predecessor in four years produced 3,000 pages in total. [1:25:11] I repeat, I have produced 33,000 pages in seven years to this Congress and will continue [1:25:15] to do so. [1:25:16] I'm dedicated to restoring the trust and the mission and the integrity of the FBI, and [1:25:20] we cannot do so without congressional oversight. [1:25:23] And I promise you, I will continue to do so. [1:25:26] On the Epstein case. [1:25:28] The original sin on the Epstein case was how it was handled by Mr. Acosta when he first [1:25:33] brought the case in 2006, 7 and 8. [1:25:35] The original case had a very limited search warrant, had a very limited search window, [1:25:40] had a very limited investigative window. [1:25:42] I was not there when those search warrants and that investigation was launched. [1:25:46] I would not have done it that way. [1:25:47] They were limited to only three to four years of investigations from 97 to approximately 2001 [1:25:52] and 2002 to 2005. [1:25:54] Mr. Acosta allowed Mr. Epstein to enter into a plea agreement where he served weekend jails [1:25:59] for trafficking minor women. [1:26:02] He also was allowed to leave jail to go home on the weekends. [1:26:06] Plus, he allowed a non-prosecution agreement to be signed as part of that plea deal prohibiting [1:26:12] future investigations from that prosecution and from that evidence and prohibiting the collection [1:26:17] of further material. [1:26:19] That is the original sin. [1:26:20] We are working with Congress to produce more than any administration ever has material on [1:26:24] Epstein. [1:26:25] And I welcome the challenge to tell us that we are not being as transparent as the law [1:26:28] allows. [1:26:29] Congress went to court and asked the judges to lift those prosecutorial agreements and [1:26:32] to lift those court order seals. [1:26:34] And they denied us three times. [1:26:36] Congress is welcome to do the same and join the fight. [1:26:39] And I'd lastly like to focus on operation that the president led in D.C. [1:26:44] Because of this, we are taking this fight in D.C. to every single city across the country. [1:26:49] 2,100 arrests in the last month alone. [1:26:51] D.C. has seen a 60 percent decrease in gun crimes, 75 percent decrease in carjackings, [1:26:57] and 53 percent decrease in homicides in our nation's capital. [1:27:00] And rightly so. [1:27:01] We're bringing that fight to the streets of America. [1:27:04] I want to thank you for your support. [1:27:06] And I'm proud to be the director that leads this FBI into a new headquarters building that [1:27:11] they've needed for decades, saving the taxpayer three and a half billions of dollars and also [1:27:15] providing our workforce a safe environment. [1:27:17] If you don't know the calamity that is the Hoover Building, I invite each and every one [1:27:21] of you to walk around. [1:27:22] I'll give you a tour myself. [1:27:23] And you can see where the cement falls on the heads of our employees that is only to be [1:27:27] saved by netting, just to give you an example. [1:27:30] Thank you for support to our mission. [1:27:32] And I do want to highlight one thing about D.C. [1:27:36] It's because the FBI gathered sources and evidence that we were able to, through our source [1:27:40] network, identify the horrific murder of the D.C. intern, Eric Tarpinian. [1:27:44] And I've spoken to his family and, you know, we are working to bring them justice. [1:27:49] And Mr. Chairman, in my 16 years, now my 17 years of government service, if anyone has [1:27:53] any questions about my service, bring it on. [1:27:56] Yeah. [1:27:57] Thank you, Director. [1:27:58] We will now proceed under the five-minute rule. [1:27:59] The chair recognizes the gentleman from California, Mr. Eisen. [1:28:02] Director, delighted to have you here. [1:28:05] You are a breath of fresh air. [1:28:08] As you outlined, and I won't repeat it, the accomplishments, you did so with the same [1:28:14] resources as your predecessor, roughly. [1:28:16] Is that correct? [1:28:17] I believe so, yes. [1:28:18] And so how much of that has to do with taking people out of the backside of the FBI and moving [1:28:25] them into the field, into doing the job for which we primarily pay the FBI? [1:28:30] That's exactly what we needed done. [1:28:32] One-third of the FBI's workforce resided in the National Capital Region before I got there. [1:28:36] One-third of the crimes do not happen in Washington, D.C. [1:28:39] Not anymore. [1:28:40] Not anymore. [1:28:41] 1,000 personnel of the FBI were deployed across this country on a permanent basis, and every [1:28:46] single state in this union is getting a plus-up, not a reduction, a plus-up of 1811s of intel [1:28:51] analysts and support staff. [1:28:53] And that is why the crime rates are going down in record numbers. [1:28:56] Well, thank you for doing that, and, you know, it's perhaps the hardest thing for a bureaucrat [1:29:01] to do is to lower the headcount around them that support them, and I appreciate your willingness [1:29:06] to do it different than your predecessor. [1:29:10] A lot of what you covered earlier was the find, the discovery, and then the prosecution [1:29:17] that is done by the DOJ. [1:29:20] I want to talk a little bit about the prevent side. [1:29:22] On the Charlie assassination, sir? [1:29:24] No, no. [1:29:25] No, on all of these. [1:29:26] Okay. [1:29:27] Okay. [1:29:28] For example, and I'll bring it up before the Democrats bring it up, January 6th. [1:29:33] January 6th, we now know because of your find that, in fact, there were people involved [1:29:39] who were not just observers but participants who, in fact – it's been alleged and I personally [1:29:46] believe – in fact were part of promoting, perhaps even the one woman who died, encouraging [1:29:54] her to walk through a door that led to her death. [1:29:57] When you see that kind of activity and you know it was done under predecessors with full [1:30:03] knowledge, whether it's January 6th where embedded people crossed the line or any other [1:30:09] activity including, obviously, the Russian hoax that we're now dealing with up and, you [1:30:16] know, front and center. [1:30:17] My question to you is, what can you or others do to prevent it from occurring again? [1:30:23] Not on your watch, but on future watches. [1:30:25] How can we know that this won't happen again the moment you leave the FBI? [1:30:30] It's simple. [1:30:31] What I'm doing through our leadership cadre is having FBI agents do what they were trained [1:30:36] to do, not what they were not trained to do, not put them in situations that both harm [1:30:40] them and the public. [1:30:41] We're also utilizing our SWORD networks and prioritizing the threat structure to go after [1:30:46] the narco-traffickers, the counterterrorism people, the counterintelligence threats and [1:30:49] the cyber threats. [1:30:50] That's what they were trained to do and that's what we're letting them do. [1:30:53] One major question I have after decades of doing this, each on our side of it, both the [1:31:01] chairman, myself and others, both at Oversight and here have seen that the FBI and the Department [1:31:08] of Justice hide behind non-statutory practices. [1:31:13] Now you've changed the interpretation of many of those practices. [1:31:17] That's why we're getting the discovery that was previously withheld. [1:31:20] How do we work together to make sure that we never again have false walls, non-statutory [1:31:26] walls that say the Department of Justice has a prohibition about giving, quote, you fill [1:31:32] it in the blank, that has led to the chairman not seeing anything until you took over? [1:31:37] I'm wedded to aggressive constitutional oversight. [1:31:40] Having been a House congressional staffer, I know that is an important part of securing [1:31:44] our democracy. [1:31:46] And the way we make it an everlasting, enduring process is by showing the American people the [1:31:49] results of what we are doing and the important work of this committee and putting it out to [1:31:53] them. [1:31:54] So they can see government waste, fraud and abuse, and then they can demand from our constituents [1:31:58] and our electors that they want this process to continue. [1:32:02] Last major question here. [1:32:05] Some things are so sensitive that we both would agree they cannot be made public. [1:32:10] Will you commit to this committee when it is too sensitive to disclose that you would [1:32:16] at least make it available for in-camera review by the chairman and ranking members or others [1:32:22] designated? [1:32:23] I have done that and I will continue to do that. [1:32:25] Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:32:27] This is a breath of fresh air. [1:32:30] This is the beginning of what we need. [1:32:32] But my questions today for the director are ones in which I believe that we do need to [1:32:39] codify by agreement or by statute if necessary the kind of openness and transparency that we [1:32:45] are seeing from this administration, the kind of discovery that is allowing us to do our [1:32:49] oversight properly. [1:32:52] And I would hope that that be the follow-up to this, obviously along with the Attorney General. [1:32:58] And I yield back my four seconds. [1:33:00] Thank you. [1:33:01] The gentleman yields back. [1:33:02] The gentleman from New York is recognized. [1:33:03] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:33:05] Welcome, Director Patel. [1:33:07] In the wake of the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump said, quote, violence and murder [1:33:12] are the tragic consequences of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year [1:33:17] after year, in the most hateful and desigable way possible, close quote. [1:33:21] I would note for the record that Donald Trump has famously demonized practically every person [1:33:27] he has ever disagreed with. [1:33:29] And therefore, using his own logic, he has put their lives at risk. [1:33:33] I should know. [1:33:34] About two weeks ago, when I announced my decision not to go, when I announced my decision not [1:33:41] to seek re-election, many people on both sides of the aisle, including the chairman, offered [1:33:45] me well wishes and thanked me for my service. [1:33:47] Donald Trump, on the other hand, took the true social to call me a, quote, psychopathic [1:33:52] nut job, among other things. [1:33:55] Yesterday, I received a threatening note filled with anti-Semitic comments and hateful attacks [1:34:00] that mimics some of the same language used by the president. [1:34:03] I am sure many of us on this committee face similar threats every day. [1:34:08] We have seen political assaults on both the left and the right. [1:34:11] The attack on Charlie Kirk, the attempted assassination of the president, the murder of the Democratic [1:34:16] Speaker of the Minnesota House, the assault on Paul Pelosi, and the attack on the Capitol [1:34:21] on January 6th, for example. [1:34:23] Director Patel, do you agree that there is political violence from both the left and the [1:34:27] right? [1:34:31] There is too much political violence. [1:34:32] Do you agree, yes or no, that there is violence? [1:34:34] There is too much political violence based on ideologies from either side. [1:34:38] Do you, from either side? [1:34:39] Okay. [1:34:40] Are you aware of the study by the Cato Institute, a well-known conservative group, that found [1:34:45] that 69% of the violence is from the right? [1:34:48] I'm not familiar with that study. [1:34:49] I'm not familiar. [1:34:50] Okay. [1:34:51] I would commend it to you. [1:34:52] Are you aware the administration has threatened to use violence as an excuse to crack down [1:34:57] on liberty and freedom of speech? [1:35:01] Say that again. [1:35:02] I'm sorry. [1:35:03] Are you aware the administration has used, has threatened to use violence as an excuse [1:35:08] to crack down on liberty and freedom of speech? [1:35:11] Nobody at the FBI is doing that. [1:35:13] I didn't ask you about the FBI, I said the administration. [1:35:15] I speak for the FBI. [1:35:17] I would like to enter into the record an article from today's New York Times titled, Trump invokes [1:35:22] Kirk's killing and justifying measures to silence opponents. [1:35:27] In the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing, President Trump and his allies have laid out a broad [1:35:31] plan to target liberal groups, monitor speech, revoke visas, and designate certain groups [1:35:36] as domestic terrorists. [1:35:37] I ask the unanimous consent to insert this into the record. [1:35:41] Thank you. [1:35:42] Emphasizing the murder of Charlie King to go after free speech is not a legacy I believe [1:35:47] Charlie King would have wanted. [1:35:49] Moving on, I want to address another topic. [1:35:52] The FBI has traditionally played a key role in prosecuting public officials for corruption. [1:35:56] But I fear that at a time when the president is accepting planes from Qatar for his post-presidential [1:36:02] personal use, issuing pardons to major donors, and personally profiting from the office of [1:36:07] the presidency, the FBI may be abandoning its commitment to investigating public corruption. [1:36:13] Since its creation in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the Public Integrity Section has been [1:36:17] one of the crown jewels of the Department of Justice, investigating and prosecuting corruption [1:36:22] among the nation's public officials and acting as a key safeguard against politicized prosecutions. [1:36:28] This section's work has been supported by an elite squad in the FBI devoted specifically [1:36:33] to rooting out corruption. [1:36:34] But according to reports, the Public Integrity Section has now been decimated, and the FBI's [1:36:40] Public Corruption Squad has been disbanded. [1:36:42] I would like to submit for the record a New York Times article entitled, FBI Dismantles [1:36:48] Elite Public Corruption Squad. [1:36:50] I ask the unanimous consent. [1:36:53] Thank you. [1:36:54] These actions are an invitation to corrupt politicians to break the law, since they know that the [1:36:59] government is asleep at the switch. [1:37:02] Last month, Senator Warren and I, along with dozens of other members of Congress, wrote to [1:37:06] you and Attorney General Bondi expressing grave concern over your decision to effectively legalize [1:37:11] corruption and politicize prosecutorial decisions. [1:37:16] And he has the unanimous consent to enter this letter into the record. [1:37:20] Thank you. [1:37:22] I don't have time today to walk through all your questions, all of our questions and concerns, [1:37:26] but will you commit to answering this letter in short order so that we can understand what [1:37:31] factors led to this decision and how it has impacted the ability to hold corrupt officials accountable? [1:37:37] I will review your letter with my team and respond as soon as I can. [1:37:41] You will respond. [1:37:42] Thank you. [1:37:43] I yield back. [1:37:44] The balance of my time. [1:37:45] The gentleman yields back. [1:37:46] The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for five minutes. [1:37:47] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Director, for being here. [1:37:50] I appreciate the change in the FBI and the tone since you've been there. [1:37:57] We heard the ranking member, however, describe the FBI under your leadership as being resorting [1:38:03] to political enforcement and you personally as being paranoid. [1:38:07] I would just suggest that perhaps that is the projections of the ranking member himself [1:38:14] and not you, sir. [1:38:16] I want to refer to something that was said yesterday in yesterday's hearing by Senator Grassley. [1:38:23] He said, it's well understood that your predecessor left you an FBI infected with politics. [1:38:29] At your nomination hearing, he gave you records, made public records about whistleblowers regarding [1:38:35] something called Arctic Frost. [1:38:37] Arctic Frost was the FBI case opened and approved by anti-Trump FBI agent Thebold, and Arctic Frost [1:38:44] became Jack Smith's elector case. [1:38:47] The new records show that Arctic Frost was much broader than just an electoral matter. [1:38:50] In fact, it was expanded to Republican organizations. [1:38:55] Some examples of the groups that the Ray FBI sought to place under political investigation [1:38:59] included the Republican National Committee, Republican Attorneys General's Association, and [1:39:05] Trump political groups. [1:39:07] In total, 92 Republican targets, including Republican groups, Republican-linked individuals, were placed [1:39:13] under the investigative scope of Arctic Frost. [1:39:17] On that political list for investigation was one of Charlie Kirk's groups, Turning Point [1:39:23] USA. [1:39:24] In other words, Arctic Frost wasn't just a case to politically investigate Trump. [1:39:28] It was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan [1:39:33] ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus. [1:39:37] I'd ask that, Mr. Chairman, that that document be administered. [1:39:40] Without objection. [1:39:42] So, I know that this may be under current investigation, but I wish to ask specific questions about this [1:39:48] for just a moment. [1:39:50] What search tools were used in Arctic Frost to view private communications of targets? [1:39:55] I believe the traditional search tools, search warrants, lawful service of process, and the [1:40:03] tools that the FBI has in our infrastructure systems, cybersecurity systems, and counterintelligence [1:40:08] systems. [1:40:09] But generally speaking, if I may, I want to use this to highlight the fact that I'm continuing [1:40:15] my promise to work with Congress to produce documents simultaneously and also conduct ongoing [1:40:20] investigations. [1:40:22] I'm giving you as much as I can, and I'll give you more when I can. [1:40:24] Thank you. [1:40:25] Thank you. [1:40:26] Another question regarding that is, were there any directives from the Biden White House [1:40:30] concerning the Arctic Frost investigation? [1:40:32] Were there any, sorry? [1:40:33] Directives or communications from the Biden White House itself concerning the Arctic Frost [1:40:40] investigation? [1:40:41] I'll just rely on what was turned over to date, sir. [1:40:43] Okay. [1:40:45] So, I want to add here, the search warrants that were used included the seizing of a U.S. [1:40:52] member of Congress, his phone. [1:40:54] I think we all know who that was and how that was taken away and used for political purposes, [1:41:00] Mr. Chairman, Mr. Director. [1:41:02] So, we'll leave that for a second. [1:41:04] And let's go over to the Charlie Kirk case for just a second. [1:41:10] Let's emphasize this. [1:41:12] How many hours did it take from the assassination to the arrest of the assassin, Mr. Director? [1:41:18] 33. [1:41:20] That seems pretty swift. [1:41:24] And it was because of the actual release of videos and photographs that you directed [1:41:31] to be released, sir? [1:41:32] That's correct. [1:41:33] And to put it in perspective, the Boston bomber took five days and Luigi Mangione took five [1:41:37] days. [1:41:39] Was the platform Discord forthright from the start with law enforcement about the shooter's [1:41:44] communications on its platform? [1:41:46] Discord. [1:41:47] The platform ownership has been working with our lawful process and we are obtaining materials [1:41:53] from them on a rolling basis. [1:41:55] Thank you. [1:41:57] And I want to get back here to Arctic Frost for just a second, Mr. Chairman. [1:42:01] I'd like the unclassified document from the FBI released to be admitted to the record. [1:42:07] Not objection. [1:42:08] And a document from the Economic Times also to be admitted to the record. [1:42:12] Not objection. [1:42:13] So, I'm going to give you the last 30 seconds. [1:42:16] We could go on about the Epstein case. [1:42:18] I've got a bunch about that. [1:42:19] But I'm just going to let you, if you wish, to respond to either of the two vitriolic questioning [1:42:27] or statement from the Democrats. [1:42:29] The work of the FBI speaks for itself. [1:42:32] It's on showcase here today. [1:42:34] Anyone that wants to attack the FBI can attack me, but leave our leadership structure alone. [1:42:38] When you have 23,000 violent felons arrested, twice as many as this time last year, the work [1:42:43] speaks for itself. [1:42:44] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [1:42:46] And thank you. [1:42:47] Appreciate your good work, Director Patel. [1:42:50] I yield back. [1:42:51] The gentleman yields back. [1:42:52] The gentleman from Maryland is recognized. [1:42:53] Thank you kindly, Mr. Chairman. [1:42:55] Director Patel, before you joined the FBI, you railed against it for covering up Jeffrey [1:43:00] Epstein's human trafficking ring. [1:43:01] Let me refresh your memory with this clip. [1:43:03] It has Epstein's list. [1:43:05] They're sitting on it. [1:43:06] That doesn't seem like something you should do. [1:43:08] You're protecting the world's foremost predator. [1:43:10] That seems like an evil thing to do, regardless of who may be embarrassed in the release of that [1:43:15] Why is the FBI protecting the greatest pederast, the largest scale pederast in human history? [1:43:21] Simple, because of who's on that list. [1:43:23] So you finished that December 2023 interview with a challenge to the FBI and harsh words for Republicans in Congress for not getting the Epstein files out to the public. [1:43:33] You can see this clip. [1:43:37] Boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are. [1:43:39] Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are, you said. [1:43:45] You emphasize that the president and FBI director each had complete authority to release Epstein's client list. [1:43:51] You said Epstein's black book is under the quote, direct control of the director of the FBI. [1:43:56] Look at this clip. [1:43:57] This is way off the topic, but who has Jeffrey Epstein's black book, FBI, but who that is that? [1:44:08] I mean, that's under direct control of the director of the FBI. [1:44:12] All right. [1:44:13] So you were sworn in as director more than 200 days ago. [1:44:16] Now the black book is under your direct control. [1:44:19] So why haven't you released the names of Epstein's co-conspirators in the rape and sex trafficking of young women and girls? [1:44:25] The Rolodex, which is what everybody colloquially refers to as the black book, has been released. [1:44:33] Oh, no, you're talking about what the journalist got five years ago? [1:44:36] No, that's not what we're talking about. [1:44:37] We're talking about what you were talking about there, the black book under the direct control of the FBI director. [1:44:43] We have released more material than anyone else before. [1:44:46] The Biden administration, Obama administration had the exact opportunities to release this material and they never did. [1:44:51] And if you are selling the men and women, the FBI, we're not going after child credit. [1:44:54] Why do you change your position? [1:44:55] Hang on, you said we're not going after child predators. [1:44:58] Fifteen hundred child predators arrested this year. [1:45:00] Thirty five percent increase. [1:45:01] I'll reclaim my time. [1:45:02] Forty seven hundred child victims. [1:45:03] Mr. Chairman, I'm going to reclaim my time if you could instruct the witness. [1:45:06] Why have you changed your position there? [1:45:08] You were saying it's under the direct control of the FBI director and all of it should be released. [1:45:13] Why? [1:45:15] Why do you change your position? [1:45:16] Everything that has been lawfully permitted to be released has been released. [1:45:21] And as I told you. [1:45:22] Really? [1:45:23] The investigation was limited. [1:45:24] And let me make something crystal clear. [1:45:25] I never said Jeffrey Epstein didn't traffic other people, other women, and they're not other victims. [1:45:30] This is the investigation we were given from 2006, seven and eight and the search warrants from 2006, seven and eight. [1:45:36] That's what we're working with. [1:45:37] Wait, have you released all of the stuff that the FBI has seized from Epstein's house? [1:45:42] The computers, the emails, the file cabinets, the documents? [1:45:46] What about the financial records? [1:45:48] Have you released all of that? [1:45:49] Everything the court has allowed us to release. [1:45:51] Which court are you talking about? [1:45:52] Three separate federal courts have come in and said. [1:45:55] We're talking about the evidence you've got. [1:45:57] It's got nothing to do with what those courts have. [1:45:59] Do you have any idea how the law works? [1:46:01] Wait a minute. [1:46:02] Do you want me to break the law in a federal judge's order to satisfy your curiosity? [1:46:04] No, I want you to follow your own word, Director Patel. [1:46:07] You said up there it was under the direct control of the FBI director. [1:46:11] He had the black book. [1:46:12] And everything I have direct control over, we have gone to court. [1:46:16] Complete your sentence. [1:46:17] Everything you have direct control over, you said. [1:46:19] We have gone to court and everything we have direct control over- [1:46:22] Director Patel, complete your sentence. [1:46:23] You said everything- [1:46:24] Lawfully release, we're releasing. [1:46:26] He'd like to complete his answer. [1:46:28] You began the sentence, everything you have direct control over, I, and then you stop that sentence. [1:46:35] You've released everything that you have direct control over? [1:46:37] I have direct control over and can lawfully release. [1:46:40] If you're not familiar with the court orders, that's not my fault. [1:46:43] Oh, I'm perfectly- [1:46:44] Don't look at that. [1:46:45] I'm perfectly familiar with them. [1:46:46] Go to court. [1:46:47] But how did we prosecute Ghislaine Maxwell? [1:46:50] She was prosecuted with the investigatory material that was collected from 2001 and 2005. [1:46:57] Because of the non-prosecution agreements and the court orders on the investigations and search warrants, [1:47:03] we were not able to develop new information. [1:47:05] And oh, by the way, Jeffrey Epstein was out for 12 years. [1:47:08] And the Obama and Biden administration did nothing to look at his work, his pedophile network. [1:47:13] If you want to blame me, that's fine. [1:47:14] But now you're blaming the men and women who conducted this great search- [1:47:16] No, stop that. [1:47:17] I'm not blaming anybody other than you. [1:47:19] You're not keeping your word. [1:47:20] You said that you would release all of the materials- [1:47:22] Has anyone released more information on Epstein than I have? [1:47:25] Has anyone? [1:47:26] Did Comey? [1:47:27] Did Ray? [1:47:28] Did they? [1:47:29] Excuse me. [1:47:30] Much more has come out in the days since the American people in Congress have been demanding [1:47:34] it. [1:47:35] But it's coming out in dribs and drabs. [1:47:36] Why don't you just release the entire file as you promised to do? [1:47:39] I literally just told you there are multiple federal court orders. [1:47:43] I'm not going to break the law to satisfy your curiosity. [1:47:46] You didn't join us when we filed court to release the court orders. [1:47:50] You could have. [1:47:51] You have lawyers. [1:47:52] You could have shown up. [1:47:53] You didn't do that. [1:47:54] That's a tiny fraction of the material we're talking about. [1:47:56] That is not. [1:47:57] It is a tiny fraction. [1:47:58] How do you know that? [1:47:59] Have you seen everything? [1:48:00] It's all misdirection. [1:48:01] The time of the gentleman has expired. [1:48:02] The gentleman from California is recognized. [1:48:04] Well, thank you, Mr. Director. [1:48:06] Just to be clear, how many of the Epstein files were released in the four years of the Biden administration? [1:48:11] Zero. [1:48:12] And how many have you released? [1:48:13] I don't have the number, but it's got to be thousands of pages of stuff. [1:48:17] I was going to ask you to begin whether Americans are safer today than they were nine months ago. [1:48:24] But you cited dramatic increases in criminal arrests since you've taken office, a dramatic decrease in crime that's resulted. [1:48:33] Who would have thought that taking criminals off the streets would reduce the crime rate? [1:48:37] But somehow we have stumbled upon that new truth. [1:48:41] But it begs the question, what was the FBI doing during the four years of the Biden administration to see that dramatic an increase in work under your tenure? [1:48:53] The simple answer is I'm letting good cops be cops. [1:48:56] We're working with our state and local law enforcement. [1:48:58] We're energizing our partnerships. [1:48:59] We're bringing on more task force officers. [1:49:01] When you have more cops in the streets, when you're using ground based intelligence, when you're not weaponizing law enforcement and focusing on D.C. and focusing on the rest of America, this is what happens. [1:49:10] It is not a significant mind shift in terms of how we maneuver the FBI. [1:49:16] They've wanted to do this work since they signed up. [1:49:18] We're just letting them. [1:49:19] And we've seen many prominent Democrats oppose your efforts to restore law and order to the streets of our nation's capital. [1:49:27] I mean, all of us here have seen a dramatic change for the better here in Washington, D.C. [1:49:32] Why are so many Democrats attacking you for that? [1:49:34] Sir, Democrats have been attacking me for a decade, as is the fake news media. [1:49:40] They didn't like the fact that I exposed the Russiagate's host and the largest weaponization of the FBI and DOJ in U.S. history. [1:49:46] We proved it to be true with congressional oversight. [1:49:48] I'm wed to that congressional oversight and will continue to do that work. [1:49:52] Christopher Wray repeatedly warned this committee that the Biden open borders policy had produced a significant increase in terrorist threats that he said kept them up at night. [1:50:02] A particular concern, he said, was the two million gotaways that entered the country during the Biden administration. [1:50:08] That's an average of 41,000 every month. [1:50:12] What are the monthly gotaway numbers today? [1:50:14] Sir, I'll have to get back to you on the exact gotaway numbers. [1:50:18] But identifying that there are gotaways is step one. [1:50:21] Going and manhunting them is step two. [1:50:23] And that's what we're committing our resources to do. [1:50:25] Well, that's that's that's my next question is is what progress his administration made in apprehending and removing terrorist threats that came in during the Biden years. [1:50:32] I think you're talking about if you're not, let me know known or suspected terrorists. [1:50:35] And we've encountered almost zero at the southern border since the southern border has been sealed. [1:50:40] But the problem that we are running into is our northern border. [1:50:43] It's largely expansive. [1:50:44] The enemy has adapted and we need more focus on the northern border to stop known or suspected terrorists from coming in from places like China, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Afghanistan. [1:50:55] And what can you tell us about the remaining threat posed by potential terrorist cells here in the United States? [1:51:00] The terrorist threat that continues to be posed by international terrorists here in the United States is one of my highest priorities. [1:51:07] We are working through our intelligence community partners to identify those individuals. [1:51:11] And we've taken down numerous individuals and numerous rings across this country to neutralize that terrorist threat, including places like New York City, Los Angeles and I believe Dallas, Texas most recently. [1:51:23] How extensively did criminal cartels like Sinaloa, Jalisco, New Generation, MS-13, Turandiragua and others infiltrate our country during the Biden administration? [1:51:33] By the tens of thousands. [1:51:35] And what progress have you been making in combating their presence? [1:51:38] I think the DHS is best to speak to that. [1:51:40] But I think I can't remember the numbers of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of individuals they found that came in illegally and the tens of thousands at associations to criminal networks have all been deported. [1:51:50] And that effort is being opposed every step of the way by Democratic leaders in our cities, some of our states and right here in the Congress. Isn't that true? [1:51:59] Well, we're just working where we can in every single city we can. [1:52:02] And I welcome the opportunity partner with Republicans or Democrats on fighting violent crime like we're doing. [1:52:07] Mr. Biggs asked about Arctic Frost. What else can you tell us about that and what we need to do to assure that it never happens again? [1:52:14] Continue the congressional oversight work that you're doing on Arctic Frost. [1:52:18] Let me provide you with more documentation on Arctic Frost and also call on witnesses from the paperwork that we have given you. [1:52:24] You have that right and the American public deserves to hear what those people have to say. [1:52:28] As for my ongoing investigation, there's not much I can say. [1:52:31] What role did the FBI play in suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2024 election? [1:52:39] Off the top of my memory, sir, I believe the FBI was in possession of verified information from that laptop and it was improperly publicized that they did not have information and masked it as Russian disinformation. [1:52:54] We now know that was categorically false. I don't know why the FBI did that when they did that, but we've released all the materials related to that. [1:53:01] Thank you. [1:53:02] Gentleman yields back. The gentleman from New York is recognized. Mr. Golden. [1:53:07] Mr. Patel, does Donald Trump appear anywhere in the Epstein files? [1:53:11] I'm sorry. Could you say that again? [1:53:15] It's not a complicated question. Does Donald Trump appear anywhere in the Epstein files? [1:53:20] I didn't say it was a complicated question. I just didn't hear you. So my apologies. [1:53:24] We have released where Mr. Where President Trump's names in the Epstein files and everybody else and all credible information that we are illegally allowed to release has been released. [1:53:35] All right. So let's go through that. You're you're referring to court orders that prohibit you from releasing grand jury testimony under Rule 6E. [1:53:47] Is that what you're referring to when you say is the law allows? That's a piece of it. [1:53:51] Really? What are the what other evidence does the do those three court orders you cited prohibit from being released? [1:54:00] Information that was collected pursuant to those search warrants that were limited in fashion. [1:54:05] Wrong. Wrong. That's not what the court order says. And that's not under 6E. [1:54:09] And you're talking and I said that's 6E and I said there was others and I'm answering that there are sealed court order documents. [1:54:15] There are protective orders. They are unsealed as part of discovery given to Ghislaine Maxwell. [1:54:21] They are no longer sealed. That's just not true. We can argue about it all you want. [1:54:25] OK, well, you agree that there are. So your wait, your testimony here is that the reason why you are not releasing all of the videos that you have acknowledged. [1:54:34] There are so many and that the FBI spent thousands of hours of reviewing the photographs, all of the than the photographs that you have. [1:54:44] You're saying that you're not releasing those because there's a court order requiring them to be sealed. Is that your testimony? [1:54:51] Never said that about the videos on the totality of the videos of the thousands of images that were seized pursuant to the search warrants executed at the time. [1:55:00] The overwhelming majority of that video is pornographic material that was downloaded from the Internet and child sexual abuse material. [1:55:10] We will never release that. Well, as you should not release the victims. [1:55:14] But if there are videos that relate to others who Epstein trafficked to, such as maybe Prince Andrew or photographs that you have total control to release. [1:55:27] Yes. And if it exists, why haven't you released it? [1:55:30] Why are you supposing that that is a fact when in fact it is false? Are you saying that you're saying that none of the videos relate to anything relevant to the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking? [1:55:41] Every single video that we have collected pursuant to the prior search warrants has been examined for the last 10 years. [1:55:48] And every single video has been utilized for whatever prosecutions were able to be legally brought. [1:55:54] I'm not asking about prosecutions. I'm asking about why you aren't releasing the full Epstein files, including the names of people who were involved in the sex ring that you promised to do before you became FBI director. [1:56:09] I just told you I'm not going to release downloaded porn. [1:56:12] I'm not asking about that. Fine. I'm asking about all the other files. [1:56:16] What other videos? Tell me. Tell me. [1:56:20] That's what I'm asking. Tell me. You're saying there are no videos that would be relevant to anyone else involved in the Jeffrey Epstein sex ring? [1:56:27] Pursuant to Mr. Acosta's collection of information based on the search warrants. That's all we have in our possession. [1:56:34] I understand. And I'm asking you, that stuff. That's all we got. [1:56:37] I'm not asking all you got. I'm asking you in that stuff, there's nothing that's related to any other sex trafficking, any other people engaged with Epstein in underage sex. [1:56:47] That's correct. To my knowledge, no. OK, let's talk about the witness interviews. [1:56:51] 302s of witness interviews. Those are not subject to the court order. [1:56:55] Those are not subject to any fictional sealed order for a search warrant. [1:57:00] Why aren't you releasing those with the redacted names of the victims? [1:57:04] We are releasing as much as legally allowed. That's why we went back to the courts. [1:57:08] How is that not legally allowed? [1:57:10] Sir, do you know how court orders work? Do you know how protective orders work? [1:57:13] Actually, Mr. Patel, I was a prosecutor, a real prosecutor for 10 years. I know exactly how court orders. [1:57:19] Oh, so I was a fake one? [1:57:20] And I want to understand what the court order prevents you from releasing witness statements that the FBI took. [1:57:27] You should know that as a real prosecutor, when the court hand downs a protective order and a motion to seal, the material is sealed unless that. [1:57:34] Your testimony here is that all of those witness statements are under a court order, a protective order. [1:57:43] We are providing everything we can legally provide. [1:57:47] No, that's not my question. [1:57:48] My question is, why are those witness statements that are not grand jury testimony, that if they were under a protective order, are no longer under a protective order, why are they not being released? [1:58:00] How are they not under a protective order? [1:58:02] Why are you not going to the court like you did for the grand jury testimony to unseal those records? [1:58:08] The DOJ did go to the court. [1:58:10] No, not on those records. [1:58:11] Why aren't you going? [1:58:12] You just went on grand jury. [1:58:13] Time of the gentleman is expired. [1:58:15] You are hiding the Epstein files, Mr. Patel. [1:58:17] Time of the gentleman is expired. [1:58:18] You are part of the cover up. [1:58:19] Can I respond? [1:58:21] You sure can. [1:58:22] Any allegations that I'm a part of a cover up to protect child sexual trafficking and victims of human trafficking and sexual crimes is patently and categorically false in the work of my... [1:58:36] So I hope you will talk to them when they have requested to speak with you, because the victims have requested and you are not responding to them. [1:58:44] Director, yes or no, is the FBI still spying on parents at school board meetings? [1:58:53] No, sir. [1:58:54] Is the FBI still targeting Catholics? [1:58:57] No, sir. [1:58:58] Is the FBI still spying on President Trump? [1:58:59] I don't believe so. [1:59:00] Is the FBI still censoring Americans? [1:59:02] No, sir. [1:59:04] Is the FBI still targeting Americans for shopping at Cabela's or purchasing Bibles? [1:59:09] Nobody is targeted for their faith. [1:59:12] Is the FBI still targeting Americans who are pro-life? [1:59:15] Nobody is targeting anyone for their beliefs. [1:59:17] Is the FBI still cooking the books on crime data? [1:59:19] The crime data is real. [1:59:21] Is the FBI still purging agents for conservative viewpoints? [1:59:24] No one at the FBI has asked their viewpoints on policy. [1:59:28] Is the FBI still labeling the Betsy Ross flag, the flag of the American Revolution, a hate symbol? [1:59:34] No. [1:59:35] Well, maybe that's why you've been able to... [1:59:38] What was the number? [1:59:39] 23,000 bad guys you've arrested, a huge increase from the same time period in the previous administration. [1:59:44] I think you said 1,400 predators, 4,000 children rescued. [1:59:49] Were those the facts? [1:59:51] 4,700, 35% increase on children rescued. [1:59:53] Yeah. [1:59:54] And you got the guy at Abbey Gate? [1:59:57] We got the Abbey Gate guy. [1:59:58] We got the Abbey Gate guy. [1:59:59] We got a guy from the 4th District of Ohio who lost his life there, serving our country. [2:00:02] We appreciate that. [2:00:03] Maybe when you're not focused on politics, you can actually do what the FBI is supposed to do. [2:00:07] Go get the bad guys, right? [2:00:09] That's what the men and women of the FBI do. [2:00:11] Director, did John Brennan lie to Congress? [2:00:16] Let me just read a couple things, actually, before you answer that. [2:00:20] Two years ago, we had Mr. Brennan in for an interview, and I asked him, [2:00:26] how did you learn about the dossier in December of 2016? [2:00:30] Mr. Brennan replied, I received a copy of it from the FBI, and the CIA was very much opposed [2:00:36] to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment. [2:00:42] That's what John Brennan told the United States Congress. [2:00:46] Seven weeks ago, the Director of National Intelligence told us this. [2:00:50] John Brennan lied and denied using the dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment because [2:00:55] he knew it was discredited. [2:00:56] The CIA officer told the House Intelligence Committee, Brennan refused to remove it, and [2:01:03] when confronted with the dossier's main flaws, he responded, yes, but doesn't it ring true? [2:01:10] John Brennan lied to us. [2:01:12] Mr. Chairman, I won't stylize the evidence. [2:01:16] What I will say is that the Intelligence Community Assessment, those that created it, [2:01:20] and any individual involved with it, is an ongoing investigation. [2:01:23] There's an investigation into what took place in December and January of December 2016, [2:01:29] January 2017, when this whole thing started, this grand conspiracy. [2:01:34] That is being investigated, is that right? [2:01:35] That has been publicly announced by the Department. [2:01:37] That's been announced by the Department. [2:01:39] Did Chris Ray hide documents from this committee? [2:01:42] You would know better than me, sir. [2:01:44] Well, I think you told us, like, 700 pieces of information you've given this committee since [2:01:51] you've been the director relative to just one incident, the Catholic Memorandum from the [2:01:54] Richmond Field Office. [2:01:55] I can give you the comparison, sir. [2:01:57] Yeah. [2:01:58] The Catholic Memo, I believe we turned over 750 documents. [2:02:02] In Mr. Ray's tenure, I believe they turned over 19 pages. [2:02:06] 19 pages. [2:02:07] You've given us 700. [2:02:09] Why would Chris Ray hide information from this committee? [2:02:11] Do you want to hazard a guess? [2:02:12] I'm sorry? [2:02:13] Hazard a guess why he would do that? [2:02:15] I don't know, sir. [2:02:16] I think maybe it was because the FBI was spying on a priest, trying to get him to break the [2:02:22] priest's penitent confidence that exists. [2:02:25] You think maybe that was the reason? [2:02:28] You'd have to ask him, sir. [2:02:29] Yeah. [2:02:30] We'd love to do that. [2:02:31] I want to read a few names here. [2:02:32] Arctic Hayes, Tropic Vortex, Riding Hood, Foggy. [2:02:34] I want to pergunt who... [2:02:35] ... do you want to see the君 around? [2:02:36] I want to read this morning. [2:02:37] We'll go through the告. [2:02:38] We'll see you next time. [2:02:39] We'll see you next time. [2:02:40] We'll see you next time. [2:02:41] Oh, we're opening the doors out. [2:02:42] Let's see how we are thinking. [2:02:43] We're working for a your hyd 싹.