In a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel made a striking assertion: there is “no credible information” that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women to anyone besides himself.
This statement has reignited debates over the handling of the Epstein case and the ongoing imprisonment of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate, convicted in December 2021 on five federal charges related to Epstein and sex trafficking minors.
Moreover, numerous survivors of Epstein have publicly testified that they were trafficked to men besides Epstein. Their accounts have been pivotal in both legal proceedings and public discourse surrounding Epstein’s criminal activities.
Patel’s comments also contradict earlier statements from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had suggested the existence of an Epstein “client list.” He asserted that if credible evidence existed, legal action would have already been taken.
” … then why is the Maxwell lady in jail?”
Follow up: then why is the Maxwell lady in jail?
— Werek Wade Willer (@OleBeeM) September 16, 2025
Yet, according to Axios, at the September 16, 2025, hearing, Patel emphasized that the FBI had found no evidence of a broader trafficking network. He attributed early investigative failures to former U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, who oversaw Epstein’s 2006 prosecution and the subsequent 2008 non-prosecution agreement. Patel criticized Acosta’s limited scope of search warrants and evidence collection, calling it the “original sin” of the case.
Before her conviction, prosecutors presented compelling evidence that Maxwell played a pivotal role in recruiting and grooming young girls for Epstein’s abuse. Victims testified that Maxwell befriended them, normalized sexual abuse, and facilitated their exploitation by Epstein. This pattern of conduct led to Maxwell’s 20-year prison sentence, underscoring her active participation in the trafficking operation.
Maxwell’s recent transfer
Kash Patel is asked about why Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred to a lower security prison shortly after meeting w. Deputy Atty Gen. Todd Blanche
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) September 16, 2025
His response included calling Sen Adam Schiff (D-CA) a "fraud" & a "baffoon"
I've never seen that before in a Congressional hearing pic.twitter.com/hZtfeInV8t
In July 2025, Maxwell was controversially transferred from a federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas in July 2025. This move came shortly after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a member of the Trump administration, interviewed her over two days. The Justice Department, in an effort to appear transparent amid a fierce backlash over its handling of Epstein-related documents, later released transcripts of the interviews.
In her testimony, Maxwell repeatedly praised the President and denied witnessing any inappropriate behavior from him. She stated, “I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way. The President was never inappropriate with anybody. In the times that I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects.”
She also claimed to have no knowledge of a so-called “client list” and denied ever recruiting women for Epstein from the Mar-a-Lago estate. The interviews, however, have been criticized by victims’ advocates and some legal experts who question the validity of her statements, as Maxwell had previously been convicted of perjury
