Overview

• FBI Director Kash Patel told the Senate Judiciary Committee the initial mishandling of the Epstein case stemmed from how Alex Acosta brought it in 2006.
• Patel said early investigators used very limited search warrants and failed to seize as much material as they should have.
• He argued Acosta’s 2008 plea and non-prosecution agreement led courts to issue protective orders that sealed materials without court permission and curtailed later prosecutions.
• Acosta, who later served as President Trump’s labor secretary, is slated to sit for a voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee on Sept. 19.
• Despite Patel’s pledge to share information with Congress, reporting says the Justice Department still holds a large trove of Epstein files, with a recent 'birthday book' release occurring only after a House Oversight subpoena.