FBI Director Kash Patel has firmly denied mounting speculation about his possible resignation, following uproar over the Justice Department’s decision to officially close its investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Taking to social media on Saturday, Patel dismissed the “swirling” rumours, stating: “The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honour to serve the President of the United States and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.”
The Justice Department and FBI jointly announced this week that they would not be releasing further information about Epstein’s government-held files, including the highly controversial so-called “client list”. The decision has sparked outrage among right-wing figures, including Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, former White House strategist Steve Bannon, and reportedly, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Critics of the announcement, many of them aligned with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, have repeatedly rejected the official conclusion that Epstein died by suicide while in custody in August 2019. Instead, they continue to promote theories that Epstein was murdered to silence him and protect powerful individuals.
A newly released memo from the FBI and the Department of Justice (DoJ) stated: “This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list’. There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sought to quash speculation of internal rifts between the two agencies, stating on social media: “I worked closely with [Kash and Bongino] on the joint FBI and DOJ memo regarding the Epstein Files. All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false.”
However, a report by NBC News on Friday indicated that tensions may be simmering behind the scenes. Bongino is said to be considering resigning after what sources described as a “heated confrontation” with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“Bongino is out-of-control furious,” a source told the network. “This destroyed his career. He’s threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she’s fired.”
President Donald Trump, who was once Epstein’s neighbour in Palm Beach, also grew visibly irritated earlier this week when pressed by reporters about a one-minute gap in surveillance footage from the night of Epstein’s death.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” he snapped. “This guy’s been talked about for years … Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.”
Bondi later attributed the missing minute in the 10-hour security recording to a routine system reset, explaining that the surveillance equipment undergoes an automatic reboot every night.
Despite official denials and the release of an extensive memo, MAGA-aligned figures appear unlikely to let go of conspiracy theories involving Epstein and what they see as a “deep state” cover-up.
The FBI and DoJ have confirmed that their investigation uncovered a “significant amount of material”, including over 300GB of data and physical evidence. The trove reportedly included “a large volume of images of Epstein, images and videos of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors, and over ten thousand downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography”.
“Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials and will not permit the release of child pornography,” the memo stated.
As pressure continues to mount from far-right circles, it remains to be seen whether the official closure of the Epstein case will bring an end to public fascination or simply fuel further mistrust and speculation.