Speaker 25 (03:44:54):
Here's my concern. You're going to do well, you're doing more with less is what you're saying. 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. There's a contradiction here. Back on Main Street, we're saying you can do more with less, you can protect them with less money. Yet here in Washington, we're saying we need more money to protect members of Congress. It's a little contradiction here. 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. Otherwise, it's essentially hypocritical situation. We need more protection, yet folks on Main Street can do with less.
Kash Patel (03:45:48):
My concern is folks on Main Street. I think we received over 300 million in the big beautiful bill and we're also receiving pots of money from our inner agency, so this sort of 500 million cut isn't entirely accurate.
Speaker 25 (03:46:04):
You're still getting cut, 200 million plus, you're still moving your agents to do ICE work, so you are leaving a lot of bases uncovered. And I'm not going to be argumentative with you, Director Patel. I'm just saying if that thin blue line does not hold, people on Main Street will pay the price.
Kash Patel (03:46:25):
I agree with you, sir.
Speaker 25 (03:46:26):
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," and we're looking at budget cuts.
Kash Patel (03:46:39):
I'll work with you, sir.
Speaker 25 (03:46:40):
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield the time.
Speaker 26 (03:46:43):
Mr. Chairman. I have another unanimous consent request.
Jim Jordan (03:46:45):
Gentleman yields back. The gentleman from New York recognizes unanimous consent.
Speaker 26 (03:46:48):
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 and there were no further actions taken.
Jim Jordan (03:47:10):
Without objection.
Speaker 25 (03:47:10):
Mr. Chair, I'd like to submit some items for the record.
Jim Jordan (03:47:14):
You bet. Gentleman from California.
Speaker 25 (03:47:15):
First one, Trump's deportation diverts FBI agents off child predator cases. Second one, FBI director backtracks on administration's proposed budget cuts. And number three, Trump administration says 70% of ICE detainees do not have criminal convictions.
Jim Jordan (03:47:31):
Without objection. The gentleman from Texas is recognized.
Speaker 27 (03:47:35):
Thank you. Director, earlier this year, the committee learned of new documents tied to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and the Russia collusion hoax against President Trump. Your efforts in declassifying key documents tied to this investigation allowed the committee to acquire thousands of pages that it did not have previously. Did any of your predecessors make any effort to declassify these documents?
Kash Patel (03:47:59):
Not to the extent we have.
Speaker 27 (03:48:01):
Did any of your predecessors share or leak any details that were classified at the time?
Kash Patel (03:48:09):
There are ongoing leak investigations across the board at the Bureau related to this.
Speaker 27 (03:48:16):
I believe one of those is Mr. Comey, and I thank you for continuing that investigation. Among the declassified documents are the Durham Report annex, the Crossfire binder, and the Nellie Ohr criminal referral. Could you summarize for those watching what we know about the Russia collusion hoax so far?
Kash Patel (03:48:35):
Well, sir, I think the record will speak 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. And we know that because someone was convicted of it and only to surveil the political opponent. So that is a massive scandal. We helped expose it. And in terms of the pages of productions, I provided 1,400 pages of production related to Crossfire Hurricane, and my predecessors have provided zero.
Speaker 27 (03:49:17):
I appreciate that and I appreciate your courage and commitment to declassifying these important documents for our review and hope that you'll continue with this commitment. Can we expect to see more declassification efforts regarding the Crossfire Hurricane and Russia collusion hoax?
Kash Patel (03:49:30):
Yes.
Speaker 27 (03:49:31):
Thank you. I yield the remaining balance of my time to Chairman Jordan.
Jim Jordan (03:49:34):
Oh, I thank the gentleman for yielding. And Director, that's when it all started, right? The whole rush. That's when it all began. And then it was Mueller, then it was impeachment, then it was Jack Smith and Fani Willis and Alvin Bragg and you name it, but it all started then. And that's why I think the gentleman from Texas wants to make sure we get all the information there.
(03:49:54)
And I want to go back to when it was changed. We talked about this earlier. I just want to read to you what the CIA officer said to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "Brennan refused to remove the dossier. When confronted with the dossier's main flaws, he responded yes, but doesn't it ring true?" So that's what he initially said. 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." 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. And then he's on the other hand telling the committee, "No, no, no, we didn't want anything to do with it. It shouldn't have been a part of the intelligence committee assessment." Which we know it was. You know it was, you found that. Those are two entirely different stories.
(03:50:49)
I think Mr. Brennan has some explaining to do, frankly, what happened there. And I think you said earlier that this whole thing, and I think you said to Mr. Gooden, this whole thing is being looked at as part of this grand conspiracy to undermine the President, whether it's Comey, Brennan, Clapper, former head of the Intelligence Committee, now senator from … Whoever it is, that's all being looked at. Is that accurate?
Kash Patel (03:51:10):
Yes, sir.
Jim Jordan (03:51:11):
We appreciate that. 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?
Kash Patel (03:51:21):
Generally speaking, the intelligence community obviously utilizes and possesses classified documents, but drafts of those classified documents and even ultimate finished products of those classified documents have to be recorded and/or discarded. 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. And there is a very exact courier system in which those burn bags are obtained and the material inside is destroyed.
Jim Jordan (03:51:51):
So it's to get rid of the material, right?
Kash Patel (03:51:52):
Yes, sir.
Jim Jordan (03:51:53):
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. Is that accurate?
Kash Patel (03:52:06):
Without getting into the stylization of the evidence, anything that's put in a burn bag is for purposes of destruction.
Jim Jordan (03:52:12):
Do you find that interesting that the Durham annex was placed in the burn bag, that you would discover that when you took over as the head of the FBI?
Kash Patel (03:52:19):
We found a lot of information and a lot of burn bags.
Jim Jordan (03:52:23):
Well, we appreciate you finding that. We'd like to know a little bit more about that and we look forward to that information coming forward and I appreciate the gentleman yielding. With that, we now recognize the gentleman from Colorado.
Speaker 22 (03:52:35):
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing. Thank you Director Patel for being here today. I have a couple of questions regarding a terrible shooting that occurred in Colorado State, as you may know that I represent. 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. And so in that same vein, I'm hoping you can provide this committee and my constituents in Colorado with some clarity.
Kash Patel (03:53:06):
Absolutely.
Speaker 22 (03:53:07):
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 two students, we're praying for their swift recovery. There's an article here from Colorado Public Radio, the title is, "FBI was already investigating an account that may have been linked to the Evergreen shooter." You're familiar with the circumstances generally, Director, regarding this terrible tragedy.
Kash Patel (03:53:33):
Of course, yes.
Speaker 22 (03:53:34):
So my understanding from the public reporting is that an organization reported to the FBI in July of this year regarding … I'm just reading here from the article, 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 nonspecific in nature. This is the FBI statement to the press, and that the FBI continued to work this assessment investigation to identify the name and location of the user up on until September 10th, 2025, which was the day of the tragedy. 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?
Kash Patel (03:54:13):
Generally speaking, yes, because I know even though the shooter's deceased, the investigation is … We're not done. 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. The school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado being one of them. And proactively going out onto these social media platforms, which are so large, is our biggest impediment, and we need to rely on the service providers. 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, which gives service providers the ability to report that information in from their end without liability. 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.
Speaker 22 (03:55:04):
I appreciate that, Director Patel. And I think we're certainly … I'm interested in continuing this conversation, 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.
(03:55:21)
I have a question. It's not meant as a gotcha question, so just frame it there. But it is in regards to some reporting around periodic transaction report that you had filed earlier. A periodic transaction report that you had filed earlier this year. So this is in July pursuant to the ethical obligations as a senior executive official. You remember filing that in July?
Kash Patel (03:55:44):
Yes.
Speaker 22 (03:55:45):
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, which I presume was pursuant to the ethics agreement that you negotiated with the Department of Justice.
Kash Patel (03:56:00):
Yes.
Speaker 22 (03:56:00):
In that same report, there's a disclosure regarding purchases of two different, well, rather two different transactions. So between $15,000 to $50,000 in a national coffeehouse chain in between 50,000 to 100,000 in a semiconductor company on May 9th and May 12th. Are those transactions that you're doing personally, or are these through a stockbroker, or are these transactions that you're handling yourself?
Kash Patel (03:56:24):
So how they happen is I submit proposals under DOJ guidance to say, " Hey, I would like to trade this or that." 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.
Speaker 22 (03:56:38):
Is there a reason that you decided to make the purchases into those two companies?
Kash Patel (03:56:45):
Generally speaking, before I got this job, I was trading stocks, but not a lot like most people, and I just follow certain industries and I thought that would be a good investment.
Speaker 22 (03:56:58):
So the reason why I ask, because you had divested in other companies, and I presume that, that wasn't because there were actual conflicts, it's just that you wanted to avoid an appearance of impropriety.
Kash Patel (03:57:09):
It was both.
Speaker 22 (03:57:10):
Both, but not all of the companies were conflicts they divested from.
Kash Patel (03:57:15):
I don't make the call, they make the call.
Speaker 22 (03:57:16):
Sure. I guess my point would be, the reason why I ask this, why I said it's not a gotcha question. I have for years led an effort here in Congress to try to ban members of Congress, senior executive officials from trading stocks, and it's bipartisan in nature. We're working really hard to get that done, Republicans and Democrats. 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, that divesting entirely, not doing day trading now, I think would be something that would be in the interest of the American people. So I just would hope you would consider that and moving forward that perhaps not purchasing stocks in individual companies, I would think, would be something that would be worth pursuing.
Jim Jordan (03:57:58):
Gentleman's time is-
Speaker 22 (03:57:58):
Yeah, I'm happy to give the witness an opportunity to-
Kash Patel (03:58:00):
Thank you. I'll work with you on it.
Jim Jordan (03:58:02):
Gentlemen from Alabama is recognized.
Speaker 28 (03:58:05):
Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Director Patel for being here today. Nellie declassified documents confirm that the intelligence community under President Barack Obama knowingly relied on unverified and fraudulent evidence to manufacture a false claim that Russia in fact meddled in the 2016 election. Is there more to be done to uncover the depths and origins of the Russian collusion hoax?
Kash Patel (03:58:28):
There is, and we're doing it.
Speaker 28 (03:58:31):
Why should Americans still care about that, Director Patel?
Kash Patel (03:58:35):
Everybody wants to talk about a weaponized bureaucracy. And when we put out the facts about a weaponized bureaucracy, not because I said so, but because we found the FISA documents, because we found the 302s and the 1023s, then it becomes a political football. 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. And that's been my commitment on any subject, Russiagate or otherwise. Wherever the law allows me to do it, I will do it.
Speaker 28 (03:59:03):
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. And so are there things that you're doing structural reforms that implementing so that FBI cannot be weaponized again, whether it's against President Trump or future elected presidents?
Kash Patel (03:59:20):
Well, it shouldn't be weaponized against anyone. And the structural reform is simple. 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. And if there's not, the investigation isn't even opened.
(03:59:36)
And I've also gone back and reviewed other cases that were opened in prior administrations related to public officials, and we've closed a number of them because we felt that some of these actions were weaponized on either side of the aisle. 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, so I shut them down.
Speaker 28 (04:00:00):
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's supposed to protect them. And so thank you for doing that.
(04:00:14)
On August 11th, you released to the committee documents concerning leak investigations that began in 2017. Do you believe these leaks were accidental, or were they intentional in order to influence public opinion against President Trump?
Kash Patel (04:00:27):
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, but they're still not complete.
Speaker 28 (04:00:37):
Why did the FBI under Director Comey want to undermine the Trump administration?
Kash Patel (04:00:41):
I don't know. You'll have to ask him.
Speaker 28 (04:00:42):
You think it might've been political? How will director Comey be held accountable for his leaks in classified information concerning the Russian collusion hoax?
Kash Patel (04:00:53):
Well, anyone. It doesn't matter what you did before or what seat you were in, if you leak classified information, that's illegal, and we will investigate it fully. And if we can bring enough evidence to recommend charges to the Department of Justice, we will. But as you know, in these leak investigations, it's very difficult to produce the information necessary.
(04:01:12)
We know leaks happen. They literally happen every week. It's one of the most destructive things to this country. Media receives classified information beneficial to one side or the other. I'm a fan of none of it, and I want to shut all of it down, and we need to bring some real cases to deter individuals from doing that, and that's my focus.
Speaker 28 (04:01:31):
What was Comey's role in creating the ICA?
Kash Patel (04:01:36):
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 surrounding Russiagate came together. So he represented the FBI in that.
Speaker 28 (04:02:00):
Was former director of CIA, John Brennan, he's denied that the Steele Dossier was used in creating the ICA, is that true?
Kash Patel (04:02:07):
Well, without commenting on him, the FISA has been released and the dossier was in the FISA. It was in four FISAs, so I'll let the public decide.
Speaker 28 (04:02:18):
Well, Former Director Brennan actually denied repeatedly that he pushed for the Steele dossier to be included in the ICA. Is that true?
Kash Patel (04:02:29):
I'll let his testimony speak for itself, 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've been no FISA.
Speaker 28 (04:02:42):
Well, my time is getting close, but let me tell you this, sir. And one of my colleague from Texas said, thank you for the job you're doing. You're making the American people safe. You're restoring trust in these agencies that we so many of us have lost trust in. So thank you for the work you're doing, that thin blue line, you're doing a fine job and we want to let you know we appreciate it. Thank you.
Kash Patel (04:03:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 28 (04:03:02):
God bless you.
Jim Jordan (04:03:05):
The gentleman yields back. The gentlelady from California is recognized.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:03:07):
Thank you Mr. Chair and thank you Director for coming here today. And actually, thank you for your response to my colleague from New York who asked you earlier about violent extremism, and you said that there is violent extreme ideology on both sides. And I think you actually alluded to that same statement yesterday in the Senate.
(04:03:31)
So I too have some questions I'd like to ask you. These are not gotcha questions and just deny please what you deem to be false. So Dylann Roof, who followed white supremacist propaganda murdered nine Black parishioners in Charleston in 2015. Do you deny this?
Kash Patel (04:03:52):
I'm sorry, Dylann Roof?
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:03:55):
Roof?
Kash Patel (04:03:56):
Roof, can you give me some more information?
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:03:59):
You're head of the FBI, you probably know this. If you don't know, that's fine. Okay.
Kash Patel (04:04:04):
If you can give me a reminder, I've got a lot in front of me.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:04:06):
It was national news. Robert Bowers murdered 11 Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Kash Patel (04:04:13):
I do remember that.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:04:14):
And it was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack. So do you admit that, that happened?
Kash Patel (04:04:19):
I'm not saying the other thing didn't happen. I'm just asking for a little information.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:04:23):
Patrick Crusius, who posted a manifesto about a Hispanic invasion walked into a Walmart in El Paso, Texas in 2019 and began firing. He murdered 23 people that day and the youngest was 15. Do you admit or deny that, that happened?
Kash Patel (04:04:41):
I'll take your presentation as accurate.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:04:44):
All right. Well, I have to say all of these cases have been adjudicated. As I said, they are not gotcha questions. These incidents were national news. And as Director of the FBI, you have access to all of this information. So in 2022, Payton Gendron walked into a
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:05:00):
… supermarket in a black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York and started shooting. He murdered 10 people that day. And on September 10th, your friend Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Tyler Robinson has been taken into custody and charged. 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. And according to the Anti-Defamation League, he had a fascination with mass shootings and white supremacy. So do you admit to, deny these facts?
Kash Patel (04:05:35):
Those happened.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:05:36):
Okay. 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. Do you admit or deny A, that he said this?
Kash Patel (04:06:02):
I'll let the record reflect that whatever he said was what he said.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:06:05):
All right. And do you agree?
Kash Patel (04:06:08):
That there is racially motivated crimes being committed in America? Yes.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:06:12):
Yes, especially white supremacists, which is the biggest chunk of our domestic terrorism. I'm glad that you said this. So last week, President Trump was asked if there were extremists on both the left and the right. He was actually asked this by Fox and Friends. And his exact words were, "I'll tell you something that's going to get me in trouble, but I couldn't care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime. The radicals on the left are the problem and they're vicious and they're horrible and they're politically savvy." Do you agree with the president?
Kash Patel (04:06:48):
I don't speak for the president. The president speaks for himself.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:06:50):
Do you agree with the president?
Kash Patel (04:06:52):
On what matter?
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:06:53):
On the question that I just asked, do you agree with his statement about the radical left?
Kash Patel (04:06:59):
That there's ideology that's driving violence on both sides? Yes. That's what he acknowledged.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:07:04):
No, he didn't. He didn't. But I'm glad that you're saying that and actually creating some separation between you and the president. And I'm glad that you are acknowledging-
Kash Patel (04:07:14):
That's literally what happened, he said both.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:07:14):
… that there is violent extremism on both sides. What's interesting is that the research arm of the Department of Justice, the National Institute of Justice, do you know what that is?
Kash Patel (04:07:24):
I'm familiar with them.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:07:25):
Okay, great. 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. I have it. It's interesting that it's no longer on the website. It has been scrubbed. 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, but a commitment to the creed that evidence is agnostic and that the evidence will lead you to making the right decisions in your job. No one's job is to like the data or the evidence. It is to collect it. That is how you gain trust. And Mr. Chair, I would like to enter into the record, if I may, White Supremacist Group Stands By Racist Ideology, with unanimous consent?
Jim Jordan (04:08:23):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:08:24):
Dylann Roof: The Radicalization of the Alt-Right and Ritualized Racial Violence.
Jim Jordan (04:08:31):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:08:32):
Thank you. Another article, How Robert Bowers Went From Conservative to White Nationalist. I'd like to enter that into the record [inaudible 04:08:40].
Jim Jordan (04:08:40):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:08:41):
Patrick Crusius Believed He was Fulfilling Trump's Wishes in El Paso Attack, His Attorney Said. I'd like to enter into the record.
Jim Jordan (04:08:49):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:08:50):
Buffalo Shooting: How Far-Right Killers Are Radicalized Online. I'd like to enter that into the record.
Jim Jordan (04:08:57):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:08:58):
Evergreen High School Shooter's Online Activity Reveals Fascination with Mass Shootings, White Supremacy. I'd like to enter that into the record.
Jim Jordan (04:09:08):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:09:09):
Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2024, a report by the Anti-Defamation League. I'd like to enter that into the record.
Jim Jordan (04:09:18):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:09:19):
And the article, the report that was scrubbed from the DOJ just recently, National Institute of Justice Journal, focusing on Domestic Radicalization, Violent Extremism and Terrorism. I'd like to enter that into the record.
Jim Jordan (04:09:33):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:09:34):
And lastly, the Libertarian think tank, Cato and their analysis on violent extremism and the right rising in extremist acts. I'd like to enter that into the record.
Jim Jordan (04:09:47):
Without objection.
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (04:09:48):
Thank you. And I yield back.
Jim Jordan (04:09:49):
Gentlelady yields back. Gentlelady from Wyoming is recognized.
Harriet Hageman (04:09:54):
Just very quickly, Director Patel, thank you for being here for your service to this country and for the transparency that you have brought to the FBI and for the American people. Transparency that was absolutely non-existent in the Biden administration and FBI.
(04:10:12)
I believe that you might've been asked earlier about whether you had had an opportunity to visit with any of Epstein's legal counsel. Were you asked that question earlier?
Kash Patel (04:10:20):
I think so.
Harriet Hageman (04:10:22):
Okay. One of the legal counsels or legal fixers for Mr. Epstein was Stacey Plaskett, the Democrat delegate to Congress from the Virgin Islands. So perhaps for those on the other side who are interested in talking to Jeffrey Epstein's attorneys, they could sure visit with one of their own colleagues.
(04:10:41)
I want to focus on something that I think is very important that has not been addressed enough today, and that is related to the consequences of the Biden open border. One consequence of the Biden border crisis is the impact that it continues to have on our tribal communities. With the cartels taking advantage of our open borders, the Mexican drug cartels, by infiltrating our reservations and bringing violence, drugs, murder, trafficking and more. Last year when I questioned the Attorney General Garland about what the DOJ was doing to protect these communities, he simply deflected responsibility and said that Congress had not appropriated sufficient resources for them to be able to protect our tribal communities. Mr. Patel, what is the Trump FBI doing to counter the drug cartel infiltration and other violent crime targeting our Native American communities?
Kash Patel (04:11:43):
Thank you. It only took more than half of this proceeding to talk about one of the priorities that the FBI has, which is crimes on tribal lands. Every single crime that we have been talking about, whether it's child predators, human trafficking, narco traffickers, murder, they all happen on tribal lands as well. And I've said since the beginning, it is a priority, which is why we launched Operation Not Forgotten on tribal lands. And I'm the first FBI director to meet with the staff and tribal leaders here in Washington, DC and elsewhere and invited them into my office and headquarters to see them because I need engagement with tribal leadership and I need our police and FBI agents to be engaging with tribal leadership. Otherwise we're not going to break through. We have 1,900 Indian country cases open right now. We've got 600 indictments this year alone. We cannot forget tribal lands. Every single one of those people lives in the United States of America and it is an absolute priority to protect them and their children, just as it is anyone else.
Harriet Hageman (04:12:42):
So I think it's fair to say that what Merrick Garland testified to that the FBI and DOJ did not have the resources to address that, I think that that was an absolutely false statement. Would you agree with me?
Kash Patel (04:12:54):
It was a decision by him not to do so. That's not my decision.
Harriet Hageman (04:12:57):
At the end of August, the US attorney and FBI announced that nearly 100 personnel representing members of this Safe Trails Task Force operated near Wyoming's Wind River Reservation to assist with reducing drug trafficking and illegal guns. Director Patel, you have routinely stated that it is your mission to partner with and strengthen local and state law enforcement partners. How does the task force and other FBI efforts bring tribal law enforcement into this process?
Kash Patel (04:13:26):
The major problem with tribal lands is the sheer tyranny of geography and the amount of coverage that they have on land versus the personnel they have to do it. So what we've done is constantly surge resources to tribal lands across this country on a 30, 60, 90 day rotating basis, reporting back to us saying, "Who needs more?" And what we found is that most of these lands can be assisted by our counter UAS program, our drone capabilities, and we're going to do it because what's happening is the Mexican drug cartels are literally flying overhead, dropping their cargo, their narcotics onto this land where no one's looking and then it's being disseminated to children, to youth, to adults on that land and killing them. And we got to stop it before it gets dropped off.
Harriet Hageman (04:14:11):
Well, and your testimony proves that the Biden administration did not lack the resources to address drug and violent crime in tribal communities or around the United States. It instead expended and wasted these resources investigating parents, Catholics, we now find out Turning Point USA, the RNC and Republican organizations rather than protecting our Native Americans by closing the border. Is that fair?
Kash Patel (04:14:37):
I think so.
Harriet Hageman (04:14:41):
Wonderful. Thank you. And I do appreciate the work that you've done in this regard. I was previously the chairman of the subcommittee on the Indian and Insular Affairs with the Natural Resources Committee, and safety and security on our reservations and for our tribal members has been one of our priorities, one of my priorities. And I very much appreciate the work that the FBI has done. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help you. And with that, I yield back.
Kash Patel (04:15:05):
I will, ma'am.
Jim Jordan (04:15:06):
The gentlelady yields back. The gentlelady from Georgia is recognized.
Lucy McBath (04:15:09):
Thank you, Chairman and thank you for coming in today, Mr. Patel. In the past few months, the country has experienced a string of horrific high-profile attacks that have been motivated by racial hatred or political ideology. Shooter attacked the CDC headquarters, firing hundreds of rounds and killing a police officer. An arsonist that fired to the Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro's residence with the governor and his family actually inside. Minnesota House Speaker, Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated earlier this year, and Charlie Kirk was murdered last week. Bomb threats have been made against HBCUs and the DNC and just the list goes on and on. I only have just a few minutes today, so I don't want to take a lot of time to go into all the countless and devastating violent crimes and incidents that have happened at our schools or on our streets and in our communities that have just been happening all year long. Mr. Patel, just yes or no, is this type of political violence ever acceptable in your eyes?
Kash Patel (04:16:12):
No.
Lucy McBath (04:16:14):
I'm glad that we agree that these heinous acts designed to instill fear and division in our nation are never, ever acceptable. Yet each of these incidents has recently taken place under your watch. The FBI's website states that protecting the United States from terrorist acts is the FBI's number one priority, including from domestic terrorists. Is this still your number one priority?
Kash Patel (04:16:39):
Domestic terrorism?
Lucy McBath (04:16:41):
Preventing domestic terrorism.
Kash Patel (04:16:43):
Our number one priorities are protecting the homeland and international terrorism and crushing violent crime, and domestic terrorism sort of interlays between both of those.
Lucy McBath (04:16:51):
Okay, so well then I'm glad that you're giving us the right answer, but unfortunately your actions kind of tell a different story. Earlier this year, you granted the ranks of the FBI's Domestic Terrorism Operation Section. This is the section of the FBI that is most directly responsible for addressing political violence in our country, by preventing attacks from occurring and effectively responding to them if they do. The agents in this section are the ones who stopped an individual stockpiling weapons who planned to attack schools and churches in Florida, and seize bombs made by an ISIS sympathizer in New Orleans. And instead of ensuring that this section has all the resources that it needs at a time when its mission is critical, you fired its decorated veteran FBI agents who have served their country proudly under Republican and both Democratic presidents, and you scrapped the tools that they develop to fight domestic terrorism including the National Domestic Terrorism Incident Database.
Kash Patel (04:17:57):
Most of that is just not true. We have 1,700 current DT managed programs. We're up 300% in the amount of cases we brought against nihilistic violent extremists including 764 wishing to harm our children. The FBI and the men and women are getting after that problem set more than ever because I've unleashed them to do so. And insinuation that these tragic occurrences across the country are somehow singularly my fault are disgusting because that watershed goes down to the men and women at the FBI-
Lucy McBath (04:18:26):
Mr. Patel. I'm going to reclaim my time.
Kash Patel (04:18:26):
And they are not responsible for it.
Lucy McBath (04:18:26):
Mr. Patel, I'm going to reclaim my time. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to enter a unanimous re-
Kash Patel (04:18:28):
I'm happy to work with you to get them what they need.
Jim Jordan (04:18:33):
The gentlelady the time. Unanimous consent request. She will state a request.
Lucy McBath (04:18:36):
Thank you very much. Into the record an article from Reuters titled FBI Scales Back Staffing, Tracking of Domestic Terrorism Probe Sources Say. Thank you very much.
Jim Jordan (04:18:44):
Without objection.
Lucy McBath (04:18:45):
I appreciate that.
(04:18:46)
So Mr. Patel, and it isn't just the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section. Under your watch, agents are fully diverting their attention to these anti-immigrant and city takeover operations, leaving our children vulnerable to dangerous networks of online predators, both domestic and international. You pulled more than 120 FBI agents from their normal duties to operate sobriety checks and conduct traffic stops, exposing the FBI's fleet of unmarked cars and thereby making it harder for the FBI to combat violent criminal gangs, foreign intelligence services and drug traffickers in the process.
Kash Patel (04:19:27):
That's simply not true. If we were not able to do two things at one time, how would we be seizing record amounts of fentanyl-
Lucy McBath (04:19:33):
Mr. Patel, I reclaim my time. I reclaim my time. Chairman, I'd like to enter into the record.
Kash Patel (04:19:34):
23,000 violent felons have been arrested.
Lucy McBath (04:19:36):
Consent request.
Jim Jordan (04:19:37):
Time belongs to the gentlelady.
Kash Patel (04:19:37):
… more than twice as many as last year.
Jim Jordan (04:19:39):
Time belongs to the gentlelady from Georgia.
Lucy McBath (04:19:40):
Thank you very much. And this request basically is, it is an article from Reuters which quotes, "Law enforcement officers familiar with agents who once covered child exploitation cases, but now focus on immigration," titled Exclusive: Thousands of Agents Diverted to Trump Immigration Track Down.
(04:19:58)
Mr. Patel, in the short time I have left, your tenure as director of FBI has been somewhat problematic. Americans are definitely less safe under your watch. You have gutted the FBI's ability to keep safe from domestic terrorism. You have sent FBI agents to conduct traffic stops and round up hard-working immigrants who pose no danger to public safety. People even President Trump referred to as good long-time workers. Your job is to protect and serve the American public-
Jim Jordan (04:20:30):
Time of the gentlelady.
Lucy McBath (04:20:30):
… you have spent your time protecting heinous individuals and using the FBI to serve as a political circuit. You at times have appeared unequipped and this country deserves better.
Jim Jordan (04:20:40):
Time of the gentlelady has expired.
Lucy McBath (04:20:40):
And I yield.
Jim Jordan (04:20:40):
The gentlelady yields back.
Kash Patel (04:20:40):
May I respond?
Jim Jordan (04:20:41):
Sure can.
Kash Patel (04:20:43):
Simply put, what is it? Are we failing? If we're failing, how are we arresting 23,000 violent felons, twice as many as this time last year? Are we failing? Because if we're failing, how are we seizing 1,500 kilograms of meth, 25% increase from last year? Are we failing because we captured four Top 10 FBI's Most Wanted from around the world in seven months? That's more than the entirety of the last administration. Are we failing because we put 1,500 child predators in prison? Are we failing because we dismantled 300 human trafficking networks? Which is it? You don't like me, that's fine. But don't you dare disparage the men and women of the FBI that are producing record results in historic fashion to protect this country. They are kicking ass for America and they're going to continue to do so.
Jim Jordan (04:21:26):
We appreciate your leadership. The gentlelady from Florida is recognized.
Laurel Lee (04:21:31):
When I was home recently, I met with the agents leading the Tampa office of the FBI and I saw what they're focused on in my community, stopping drug traffickers, rescuing children from exploitation, fighting cybercrime, protecting us from acts of terrorism, foreign and domestic. And I know from my time as a federal prosecutor and a judge that this work by the Bureau doesn't make headlines, but it is happening every single day. At the top, accountability is necessary, transparency is critical. But today we've seen an effort not just to diminish but to distort the work of Director Patel and the agents he leads.
(04:22:12)
If we really care about transparency and about truth, then what we owe to the American people is this reality, that thousands of dedicated professionals at the FBI wake up every single day thinking not about themselves, but about this country and keeping every single one of us and our children safe from harm. And Director Patel, I would like to hear from you the facts about what the FBI is doing in your efforts to fight crime. Director Patel, isn't it correct that since January 20th, 2025, the FBI has made over 25,000 immigration related arrests, including 350 members of Tren de Aragua and 195 members of MS-13?
Kash Patel (04:22:54):
Those numbers are accurate. The Tren de Aragua numbers are up over 350% from the year before.
Laurel Lee (04:22:59):
And during that same period, hasn't the FBI seized over 66,000 kilos of cocaine, 6,000 kilos of meth and 1,500 kilos of fentanyl?
Kash Patel (04:23:10):
Not to be nitpicky, but it's 89,000 kilos of cocaine and 7,300 kilograms of meth.
Laurel Lee (04:23:15):
And isn't it also true that the FBI Tampa Division's Panama Express Strike Force specifically seized nearly 67,000 kilos of cocaine valued at more than $1.6 billion from illicit maritime vessels?
Kash Patel (04:23:27):
One of our best operations out of the Port of Tampa and I was down there in south Florida when PANEX did their work.
Laurel Lee (04:23:34):
Director Patel, since October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack, the FBI has been a co-leader of the Joint Task Force October 7, isn't it correct that this task force is actively working to bring justice for victims and to prevent terrorist infiltration at our borders?
Kash Patel (04:23:49):
Yes, ma'am.
Laurel Lee (04:23:50):
Since January 20th, hasn't the FBI arrested 59 foreign intelligence operatives for spying or smuggling dangerous material into the United States?
Kash Patel (04:24:01):
Yes, we have. And that's on track to be more than 25% than ever before.
Laurel Lee (04:24:05):
And the FBI has also been leading operations against major cyber threat actors, including those from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Isn't that right?
Kash Patel (04:24:14):
A 17% increase from year to date last year.
Laurel Lee (04:24:17):
Director Patel, the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force has continued to investigate predators who target children online and across our communities. How significant is that threat today and what results have you seen under your tenure in bringing these offenders to justice?
Kash Patel (04:24:33):
We have under Operation Grayskull dismantled dark web units that are operating online, not just in the United States but across the world to do our children harm. We have taken into custody more suspects than ever before on those who seek to harm our children. That is what the men and women of the FBI do, and that's what they're going to continue to do. Those are the real results when you let good cops be cops. And when you let us get on these platforms and expose them to the public and show them the harms of these predators on these online gaming systems and social media systems, and we need more help from Congress to allow us more authorities to do that work.
Laurel Lee (04:25:08):
The FBI Laboratory manages the Combined DNA Index System or CODIS, which compares over 25 million DNA profiles and aids more than 125 investigations each day. Director Patel, why is this important to law enforcement nationwide?
Kash Patel (04:25:24):
All of law enforcement relies on our CJIS operation out of West Virginia, and what that does is allow 19, 000 agencies to come in and say, "Hey, does this guy have a criminal history?" "Hey, is this an illegal firearm? Do we have a DNA hit like we did in these recent assassinations?" That's what the FBI brings to bear because local and state law enforcement agencies doesn't have that capability. And we're doing it 24/7, 365. CJIS does not close for one minute.
Laurel Lee (04:25:54):
In your testimony you noted that the FBI has ongoing counterintelligence investigations into China, Iran, and Russia across all 55 field offices. Why is it essential to maintain that scope of coverage and what success can you point to in disrupting nation state actors?
Kash Patel (04:26:08):
Our biggest threats involving nation state actors are the PRC, Russia and China, and they are up 33%, 83% and 60% respectively in arrests alone this year. Those nation state actors wish to do harm in our infrastructure, our critical infrastructure system, our energy, our water supply, and also go after and target individuals and senior citizens and take their money through online pig-butchering schemes, which we've exposed in Cambodia by way of the CCP. This is groundbreaking work that the American public should be seeing that their FBI is doing and I'm happy to have the opportunity to report on it.
Laurel Lee (04:26:42):
Thank you Director Patel. I yield back.
Jim Jordan (04:26:45):
The gentlelady yields back. The gentle lady from-
Lucy McBath (04:26:47):
Mr. Chairman, I have a couple.
Jim Jordan (04:26:48):
Unanimous consent.
Lucy McBath (04:26:49):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. In response to Mr. Patel's making the remarks that maybe our colleagues are disparaging the men and women of the FBI, I'd like to enter to the record three unanimous consent requests. One is entitled FBI is Using Polygraphs to Test Officials Loyalty. The second is Kash Patel Knowingly Broke Law When Firing Top Officials, Lawsuit Alleges, published by NBC. And the third is FBI Forces Out More Leaders, Including Ex-Director Who Fought Trump Demand for January 6 Agents' Names.
Jim Jordan (04:27:28):
Without objection.
Lucy McBath (04:27:28):
Thank you.
Jim Jordan (04:27:29):
Gentlelady from Vermont's recognized.
Becca Balint (04:27:30):
Thank you Mr. Chair. Director Patel, thank you for being with us today. Appreciate your time. Let me say at the top, political violence should have no place in this country and I strongly, unequivocally condemn the killing of Charlie Kirk last week. And this is exactly the kind of case that warrants a swift and thorough investigation by the FBI. What shouldn't be happening, however, is this administration's seeming attempt to exploit Mr. Kirk's death within minutes of this horrible, horrible assassination, dividing us even further, without knowing enough about the killer's complicated, confused political ideology and the extent of his motivation. And this week, vice President Vance claimed that this is, quote, "An extremely destructive movement of left-wing extremism," and said that, quote, "It's part of the reason why Charlie was killed." He pledged to go after organizations on the left.
(04:28:29)
But Director Patel, it was just three months ago that Melissa Hortman, the Minnesota House Speaker and her husband, Mark were shot to death in their home in the middle of the night by a self-identified right-wing extremist and Trump supporter. When that assassination happened, the FBI released a written statement denouncing the killings and pledging to hold the killer accountable. And I thank the Bureau for that. It was clear, concise, to the point. But when you compare that statement to the over 50 mentions of the Charlie Kirk killing and just four for the Hortmans on accounts affiliated with the FBI and your personal account, it appears to many Americans that you're valuing some lives more than others and that's painful. And this is what I'm hearing from my constituents, so I just want to convey that to you.
(04:29:21)
The Vice President didn't even call on right-wing organizations to tone down their rhetoric after that horrific killing in Minnesota. And he never once spoke about dismantling conservative institutions. This week when the president was asked by a reporter about Speaker Hortman, he claimed he didn't even know who she was. One of the most high-profile assassinations of an elected official in recent memory, and the president claims to know nothing about it, hasn't even heard of it? It was absolutely devastating for her colleagues and for her family. And I think we all can agree in this room that we have to stop this political violence. So my first question to you is, Director Patel, what is your plan as director of the FBI to turn down the temperature, especially in light of the fact that it seems like members of the administration are reacting to political violence based on party affiliation? What's your plan?
Kash Patel (04:30:19):
I can only speak for myself and the FBI.
Becca Balint (04:30:21):
Of course.
Kash Patel (04:30:22):
And what we are doing is, I think I mentioned earlier, we're following the money. Because whatever attack you are describing, and they are all despicable, equally so, people need money to operate. People need money to conduct these attacks, to conduct these investigations. So what we are doing is finding the people that supported this infrastructure system. Because even when you say there's a, quote, unquote, "lone wolf actor," he's not truly a lone wolf actor. Something happened along the way.
Becca Balint (04:30:53):
I agree. And so can I, just because we have such little time, are you making a commitment right now to follow where the evidence goes in investigating whether it's violence on the left or the right?
Kash Patel (04:31:04):
Absolutely.
Becca Balint (04:31:04):
Because over the last 10 years, when you look at the ideology, I want to follow up on what my colleague from California said, when you look at the data, you look at the Anti-Defamation League data, 96% of ideological motivated killings were committed by the right-wing. When you look at the Institute of Justice report that she cited, it's five times the number, five times the number of far-left extremist incidents are perpetrated by far-right. And it's been reported, and she mentioned this, that as of September 12th, 2025, just two days after Charlie Kirk's killing, that the DOJ removed that report from the DOJ website. That's why Americans are concerned that there seems to be a separate system of justice, that if you are a Republican and you are attacked, you will get the full weight and authority of the FBI and this administration. But if you are somebody serving in the Minnesota State Legislature and you are assassinated in your home, that the response is different.
(04:32:11)
And I think to ignore the threats from the right or try to do a both/and when there are multiple instances when it's overwhelmingly coming from the right, this is a disservice. Because Americans want to know that whoever they are, whatever their political affiliation, that the response is going to be the same and it is going to be done with the same diligence. And I'm wondering if you will commit to me right now that you will be a voice right now standing up to those voices in the administration that are adding to the violent rhetoric right now. That's what I'm asking you. Will you commit to this?
Jim Jordan (04:32:54):
The time of the gentlelady has expired. The gentleman can respond.
Kash Patel (04:32:56):
My voice will be through the investigations that the FBI conducts and we will conduct them all lawfully and equally.
Becca Balint (04:33:02):
Can we expect in the future that you-
Jim Jordan (04:33:04):
Time of the gentlelady is expired.
Becca Balint (04:33:04):
… your tweets related to one killing will be the same-
Jim Jordan (04:33:07):
The of the gentlelady has expired-
Becca Balint (04:33:08):
… level of concern?
Jim Jordan (04:33:10):
The gentleman from Texas is recognized.
Wesley Hunt (04:33:13):
Thank you, sir. Director Patel, thank you for being here today and most importantly, thank you for restoring trust and faith in the FBI, which has been severely eroded under the Biden administration. Thank you for your service and your continued service in this capacity.
(04:33:27)
On April 7th, 2025, Charlie posted on X, "Assassination culture is spreading from the left. 48% of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk. 55% say the same about Donald Trump. And California activists are naming ballot measures after Luigi Mangione. The left is being whipped into a violent frenzy and set back, whether losing an election or losing a court case justifies a maximally violent response." End quote. And unfortunately for Charlie, that reaction also came when they couldn't win a debate on a college campus. You cannot be intellectually honest and say that this problem is on both sides. It's not just what happened to President Trump, it's also what just happened to Charlie. We've gotten to a point in America where violence is encouraged. We have a former president of the United States that opens up his campaign in 2019, that's Joe Biden, by saying that his opponent is a, quote, "Existential threat to this country." Houston, we have a problem.
(04:34:33)
People that you disagree with are not existential threats. They are not Nazis, they are not fascist, they are not racist, they are not deplorable, they're not irredeemable. They are your fellow Americans who have a different perspective on how government should run and what government should look like, whether or not we should have strong sovereign borders, whether or not we should have safe communities, whether or not we should have places to worship our God and not worry about being shot, whether or not we live in communities and cities that are not overwhelmed by drugs and crime, whether or not we have two genders, and whether or not we have common sense in our policies and our values. And people that believe these things are not existential threats. I happen to be one of these people that believes all of the above. And as someone that served this country in combat, I can assure you I am not an existential threat to this country because I swore to protect her.
(04:35:33)
Also want to point out, how many cities have you seen burned to the ground since Charlie Kirk's death? Zero. No summer of love, no riots, no nothing, no looting, no killing, none. We simply gathered and prayed for his soul, his family and this country, because that's exactly what we represent. And while we might be angry, this righteous anger will carry on Charlie's message and legacy. I want everybody to know something very simple. Charlie is not dead because of what he said. He is dead because people listened.
(04:36:13)
My time is limited so I have a few questions for you, sir. And again, thank you very much for being here. I really appreciate your time and your service. In your experience in the FBI, have you noticed a precipitous rise in political violence and other associated crimes that you have been investigating so far this year? And if so, is this trend in motive left-wing or right-wing violence?
Kash Patel (04:36:33):
I could only speak generally, sir. There is too much political violence and it has been a precipitous rise on too many fronts.
Wesley Hunt (04:36:42):
How do we solve this?
Kash Patel (04:36:44):
We solve this by giving the FBI more authorities to go into and work with the private sector. There are too many online platforms, there are too many social media platforms, there are too many gaming platforms. There are too many places for people from America and around the world to get together without their parents knowing anything about it, without their school teachers knowing anything about it and infesting the minds of our children and infecting them with radical ideology, with that as the root cause of these problems. And we must tackle it. It is not a 1950s America anymore. In 2025, the cyberspace needs to be tackled.
Wesley Hunt (04:37:23):
Thank you. Switching gears, when your predecessor sat right there in that seat last year in a committee hearing, I asked him a very detailed question about Matthew Thomas Crooks, the shooter responsible for the assassination attempt on President Trump's life. I didn't get an answer from Chris Wray that day, and I submitted written questions to the FBI and into the record of this committee, and I want to resubmit those questions today because I think we are still awaiting answers to those questions. So Mr. Chairman, I'd like to submit some for the record please.
Jim Jordan (04:37:52):
Without objection.
Wesley Hunt (04:37:54):
I'd like to ask you, sir, and the FBI under your leadership, would you please respond to these questions and you commit to doing that?
Kash Patel (04:38:00):
As soon as the trial's over.
Wesley Hunt (04:38:01):
Thank you very much. I will end with this. Charlie Kirk is not dead because of what he said. Charlie Kirk is dead because people listened. He set up a tent that said, "Prove me wrong," and exercised his First Amendment right. That's all he did. And we will continue to do so in this country in order to preserve this constitutional republic. With that, I yield back. Thank you.
Jim Jordan (04:38:26):
Gentleman yields back. The gentleman from Florida is recognized.
Jared Moskowitz (04:38:30):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I begin, I want to caution my colleagues on one-sided violence in this country. We just heard that there were no riots on the right. We're literally sitting in the building where there was a giant riot by supporters of the president, the right. We also heard that only leftists, okay, have said that Trump is a Nazi. In 2016, the current vice president of the United States said, "Trump is either a cynical or he's America's Hitler." And so this is the problem. I don't want to have to say this garbage, but you want me to sit here and get painted with one brush, the whole left. No, no. There are extremes on the left and there are extremes on the right, and we collectively should tackle that. But to come here and just look at us and say we all support what's going on in the extremes is why we can't solve anything in this building.
(04:39:42)
Director, let me say, first, thank you for being here and my condolences on the loss of your friend. And I'm happy to hear that you want to do more on the social media platforms. Okay, it's crazy what's going on on the social media platforms.
Jared Moskowitz (04:40:00):
There are so many conspiracy theories on what's going on with Charlie Kirk. Israel assassinated him. There are conspiracy theories about your personal social life all day. It is totally rampant. Big names on the right, Candace Owens. Talking about how what's been released as far as the dialogue between the perpetrator and his roommate is manufactured by the FBI, manufactured by the administration. It is totally rampant. Allowing foreign governments to just perpetrate these platforms, all of these bots, all of the time, to weaponize Americans. You see what's going on here? This is a byproduct of all of that. What's going on in the streets is a byproduct of all of that. What's happening is you see people celebrate Luigi Mangione, is a byproduct of all of that. And so if we want to do something, then we should talk about Section 230. We should talk about how we're going to make sure that we don't let foreign governments poison our children's mind. And so I will work with you on that, Director.
Kash Patel (04:41:10):
I'll work with you on 230 any day.
Jared Moskowitz (04:41:12):
No problem. So now, that was the good part. I want to take your attention back a second. Okay? Breaking news, Kash Patel is nominated to be the FBI director. Dan Bongino is nominated to be the number two at the FBI. MAGA celebrates, rejoices, bells are ringing out. The team, Patel, Bongino that sought out every podcast microphone to talk about the Epstein list. The names are finally going to get released. It begins. They produce white binders, Phase 1 with the podcasters. This is not actually one of them, of course, I made this. Your name's on it. And the names are going to come out. Pam Bondi says the list is on her desk, then a memo comes out all of a sudden, it says, "There's no list." Oh, no. No Phase 2. Phase 2 binders never happen.
(04:42:05)
You said, "The conspiracy theories around Epstein just aren't true. They never have been." And yesterday, in an answer to Senator Kennedy, you said, "The FBI is not in possession of any credible evidence that Epstein trafficked girls to anyone but himself." So according to your testimony yesterday, and in this committee, according to the evidence the FBI has, the number of names on the list are zero. Zero.
Kash Patel (04:42:29):
No, the index has been released and the number of people involved in that trafficking operation were charged in 2018.
Jared Moskowitz (04:42:37):
Other than Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, your testimony in the Senate and here is that according to the evidence you have, the number of other names is zero.
Kash Patel (04:42:47):
That were charged based on credible evidence.
Jared Moskowitz (04:42:50):
Well, who are the other names? Give me the other names that weren't charged.
Kash Patel (04:42:54):
We are not releasing the names of anyone because the Department of Justice never does that of anyone that didn't have any credible information to attack them.
Jared Moskowitz (04:43:02):
Let me move forward. You've seen the picture of the woman's body with the writing and the president's signature. The president says that's not his. Okay? President says it's not his, the Republican colleagues say it's not his, the administration say it's not his. Will you be opening up an investigation into the Epstein estate for putting out a fake document with the president's signature linking him to the world's largest pedophile ring? Will you be opening that investigation into that?
Kash Patel (04:43:26):
On what basis?
Jared Moskowitz (04:43:27):
On what basis? They literally put out a fake document according to the president with a fake signature. It's a forgery of the President of the United States signature. That's the basis.
Kash Patel (04:43:37):
Sure, I'll do it.
Jared Moskowitz (04:43:38):
Okay. I look forward to that investigation. Oh, am I over? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your diligence.
Jim Jordan (04:43:47):
Elmans time is expired. Chair, and I'll recognize the gentleman from California.
Speaker 29 (04:43:51):
Director Patel, as you know, my state, California is home to the worst public infrastructure failure in US history known as California High-Speed Rail. Although the name is probably a misnomer. Earlier this year I joined your counterpart, the Department of Transportation, Sean Duffy, doing a compliance review of the federal money the state has received. And the outcome was that the state has not complied with the terms of its billions of dollars in funding because it hasn't actually built anything. And so that federal funding has now been cut off, but a lot of us in California still have questions as to where all the money went.
(04:44:26)
We're 17 years in to this project and absolutely nothing has been built, not a single bit of track has been laid. There are no stations, there are no passengers. And the plan initially was to have the whole thing, LA to San Francisco done by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion. Yet here we are in 2025, nothing has been built and according to the New York Times, the project won't even be completed this century and the total cost is now estimated to be over 130 billion. So I just wanted to ask you, do you think this is something that bears scrutiny or can you confirm whether there's any kind of investigation going on at the FBI?
Kash Patel (04:45:07):
The FBI certainly can't investigate incompetence, but the FBI certainly can investigate and does investigate waste, fraud and abuse. And so if you have any information that indicates that happened in this situation or anything else, we'll look at it.
Speaker 29 (04:45:21):
Thank you very much. We've also been talking some today about the issues that occurred at the border during the Biden administration, and you might not agree with your predecessor on everything, but you probably would agree with some of the statements he made in testimony before this and other committees raising alarms about the risk of terrorism from illegal border crossings. Since becoming director, have you gotten some insight into how well calibrated those warnings were and what is the status of that risk now?
Kash Patel (04:45:53):
Since becoming director, there's been a sharp decrease of border crossings for known or suspected terrorists from the southern border. But unfortunately, there has been a sharp increase of known or suspected terrorists entering through our northern border. And so what I'm trying to do is work with our northern border states and our inner agency to tackle that problem. But it is an absolutely massive border that can't physically be sealed, so we are going to have to get creative and put more resources into that.
Speaker 29 (04:46:19):
In a similar vein, there were over 500,000 unaccompanied children that crossed the southern border during the Biden administration. As we know, many were trafficked either through forced labor or sex trafficking. Do you have any insight into as to what the scale of that problem was and how have things changed over the last several months?
Kash Patel (04:46:40):
Other than what you outlined in terms of how it was described, I don't have any additional details. In terms of how many people are being trafficked into this country, especially unaccompanied missing children, that number is drastically reduced because the coyotes that smuggle these children for their criminal activity are the same ones that smuggle in narcotics, are the same one that traffic older-aged women, they're all interconnected. And because of the sealing of the southern border by this administration, that has come to a near halt.
Speaker 29 (04:47:10):
That is a very important point, that we have seen far fewer victims of human trafficking because we've finally prioritize border security. And by the way, you have children who are getting rescued because of the immigration enforcement activities that unfortunately, some politicians in my state are trying to stop, thereby stopping those kids from getting rescued. We've seen, of course, a substantial reduction in crime here in Washington DC since the FBI and the National Guard got involved. I'm kind of asking you to state the obvious here, but what is the mechanism there? Why have we seen a reduction of crime when DC has had such a huge crime problem for years and then almost overnight we see such a big difference?
Kash Patel (04:47:47):
Because of the dedication and resources from President Trump's administration, to utilize all federal, state and local assets in a heavily crime-ridden area. I mean, if we did not have a crime-ridden area, then homicides, carjackings and gun violence would not be dropping by 40, 50, 60%. And when you allow the police, the MPD to work with federal authorities and allow the National Guard to set up your perimeter, this is what you can do in a few short weeks. And we at the FBI under Operation Summer Heat have set those Phase 01 operations in motion four months ago, quietly at the direction of President Trump. So we are scattered across cities, across this country doing just that, but we're going to need more help to complete the job.
Speaker 29 (04:48:30):
In too many places in this country, crime has just been treated as sort of the norm, that this is the way things have to be. What's happened in DC shows that is not the case if we have the right policies and the right priorities. Finally, this is tragically the second time in as many years that we've had an FBI director here following either an assassination or a assassination attempt. And so since there's been some time now from the attempted assassination on President Trump at Butler, would you say that the public's understanding of what took place on that day is fairly consistent with all of the facts as you know them, or do you believe there's still material facts that have not been made public or are not fully understood by the public?
Kash Patel (04:49:08):
No, I think it's fairly consistent.
Speaker 29 (04:49:09):
Thank you. I yield.
Jim Jordan (04:49:11):
Gentleman yields back. Lady from Texas, you're recognized.
Jasmine Crocket (04:49:14):
Man. Oh, man. There has been so much today and I truly don't know where to start. So I'm just going to make sure that we start off with a few facts. So a couple of facts that we need to make clear for everyone is that, number one, Director Christopher Wray, when he was appointed to be the head of the FBI, was appointed by Donald Trump. Now, I will agree that I definitely take issue with a number of decisions that Donald Trump makes, especially when it comes to the people that he decides to appoint to very important positions including this one, because I did have to make sure that I wasn't going crazy. But when I say that you are the least qualified FBI director in the history of the FBI, that is real because you are the only one that never even served with the FBI prior to joining, yet we are supposed to believe that you are-
Kash Patel (04:50:08):
That's false.
Jasmine Crocket (04:50:08):
… the greatest thing since sliced bread. I didn't ask you a question. Now, what I want to go through-
Kash Patel (04:50:13):
It's still false.
Jasmine Crocket (04:50:14):
… is to talk about why you are a failure and why, honestly, we just need to tell you, "Bye-bye." I know that you got a little upset and you put on your show for your boss because it seems like you're trying to save your job when it came to talking to Senator Booker yesterday. But let's go through some of your failures. So before you were even confirmed, and I think one of my colleagues, my colleague from Georgia pointed out that you were already targeting career officials so that you could direct illegal firings. Mind you, these cases that you were so upset about, which are the ones tied to Trump, the cases came through his hand-picked FBI director. And frankly, when people sit around and say things like, "Oh, we're happy because now we feel safe."
(04:51:08)
I don't know who feels safe in this country except for the white supremacist because I specifically as a Black woman, definitely don't feel safe. And frankly, my colleagues have been real nice to you today and I applaud them, but I don't have the same demeanor because I know that multiple colleagues on this side of the aisle have faced death threats. In fact, somebody tried to kill one of my colleagues, and frankly, I don't know if this FBI, or under your leadership, if those people would've been caught. I don't have any confidence in you. And if we start talking about the reasons that I lack confidence, we could start with you not just wanting to acknowledge some simple facts. Simple facts like the vast majority of the threats are coming from right-wing extremism. And I know my colleagues have tried to stress this, but I decided that I would maybe do it in a different way. Number one, I have a couple of UCs, Ken Buck, one of multiple Republicans receiving death threats for voting against Jim Jordan as house speaker.
Jim Jordan (04:52:14):
Without objection.
Jasmine Crocket (04:52:15):
Another one, Republican lawmaker said she received death threats after voting against Jim Jordan in speakers race.
Jim Jordan (04:52:21):
Without objection.
Jasmine Crocket (04:52:23):
In addition, there was another one from another colleague who now is leaving Congress because they said that they were calling his wife anonymously and threatening her life to the extent that she ended up sleeping with a firearm.
Jim Jordan (04:52:39):
Without objection.
Jasmine Crocket (04:52:40):
Okay. So here's the deal. How are we supposed to have confidence when you're sitting up here telling the Senate yesterday that it will take you 14 years before you can get the FBI fully staffed to do their jobs? You are also now redirecting resources so that they can go and play ICE agents on the streets. You're getting rid of your most qualified people, and even when it came down to somebody that you considered to be a friend, you were posted up having some fancy dinner to the extent that you posted not only once erroneously, you posted twice erroneously as it relates to catching somebody. And then you want to go and say, "Let me take a victory lap." Because honestly, if it wasn't for parents deciding that they were going to turn in their child, it seems like y'all wouldn't have got there even though he literally confessed online.
(04:53:32)
So I'm confused about what it is that the FBI is doing except for trying to put on a show for the apprentice or whatever you want to call him. The day after all of this took place, there was domestic terrorism that was taking place at HBCUs. They were targeted. Yet, I didn't hear anything from the FBI about what was going on. And again, Black people kept saying, " How did we end up in this?" Because the numbers are so very clear that white supremacy is a problem. And honestly, I've not heard anything out of you today that makes me believe that you're going to do anything about the white supremacy problem, the one that is leading to children being killed, children being shot, as well as members of their community as they're worshiping in their churches.
Jim Jordan (04:54:23):
The time of the gentlelady is expired. If the Gentlemen would like to respond to any of that. Well, I mean, I'll respond. Kash Patel, as I said when I introduced him, public defender, former prosecutor, top staffer on the House Intelligence Committee, Deputy Director of National Intelligence with the National Security Council, Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense and FBI director. I think that's a pretty good resume for the guy who's now running the top law enforcement agency in our country. And we've seen all the stats that he's given to the committee on how much better they're doing at getting the bad guys than the previous guy was doing. With that, I recognize the gentleman from South Carolina.
Russell Fry (04:55:02):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director Patel, I think you're witnessing some clickbait auditions for the Academy Award from my Democratic colleagues, we'll see how they fare as they're on MSNBC later on today. But do you care, before I launch into my line of questioning to respond to Ms. Crocket from Texas on that very elaborate and theatrical display?
Kash Patel (04:55:28):
Here's what I've learned in my government service. I don't give a damn what they say about me as long as I'm succeeding in the mission. We're succeeding in the mission because the men and women of the FBI have never been empowered to do more work and to hit the streets harder than by President Trump's authorities and resources he's given us. And so all I care about is that we are capturing more child predators than ever before, taking more drugs off the streets than ever before, that we are capturing murderers at a significantly historic rate and we're delivering this country the lowest murder rate in recorded history. That are facts that you cannot dispute, but you can come at me all you want, I don't care.
Russell Fry (04:56:07):
Thank you, Director, for that. And we appreciate your service. We appreciate the results speak for themselves, I think pretty plainly, and your commitment not only to results, but to transparency. So we do appreciate that. Director, who was John Durham?
Kash Patel (04:56:22):
He was a former federal prosecutor, United States attorney, and ultimately appointed special counsel in the first Trump administration.
Russell Fry (04:56:30):
Correct. And there was a document that he released in his findings called the Durham Report. What was the Durham Report briefly and what were the findings, very briefly?
Kash Patel (04:56:40):
It was every special counsel that's appointed, produces a report to the Attorney General. Special Counsel's Durham Report, largely focused on crossfire hurricane and included extensive summary findings in classified and unclassified manner. And we released the classified version finally, declassifying it for the American public in this committee.
Russell Fry (04:56:58):
Correct. And you released that in July of this year?
Kash Patel (04:57:00):
I think so.
Russell Fry (04:57:01):
Yes, sir. Isn't it true that in the classified Durham Annex, as it's referred to, that in 2016, the Obama administration obtained intelligence information from a source contained in two separate memoranda, one in January of 2016 and one in March? The two memoranda described confidential conversations between DNC chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and two individuals from the Soros Open Society Foundation. Isn't that true?
Kash Patel (04:57:30):
As written in the report. I'll let her speak for itself.
Russell Fry (04:57:33):
In the Durham Annex in January of 2016, the memoranda noted in part that President Barack Obama intended to scuttle the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server and mishandling of highly classified information during her time as Secretary of State. Isn't that found in the report?
Kash Patel (04:57:52):
I believe so.
Russell Fry (04:57:53):
Okay. Isn't it also found in the report that in March of 2016, the memorandum also included references to the same Obama effort to shut down the Clinton investigation, but additionally outlined a plan to falsely connect Trump to Russia? Isn't that in the Durham Annex?
Kash Patel (04:58:10):
I think it's in more than the Durham Report, but yes.
Russell Fry (04:58:14):
The memo also stated in part that "The Democrat Party's opposition is focused on discrediting Trump, among other things. The Clinton staff with the support from special services is preparing scandalous revelations of business connections between Trump and the Russian mafia." Isn't that also found in the now unclassified Durham Annex?
Kash Patel (04:58:35):
I believe so, sir.
Russell Fry (04:58:36):
According to the Durham Annex, based on analysis and translation of the intelligence, FBI analysts believed that special services could either mean the FBI or CIA, or the Trump dossier author, Christopher Steele. Isn't that in the Durham Annex?
Kash Patel (04:58:53):
I believe so, sir.
Russell Fry (04:58:54):
When the Obama administration received intelligence in March of 2018, Fusion GPS was preparing open source opposition research regarding purported ties between Trump and Russians. The research was paid by the Clinton's campaign and the DNC, isn't that open source and also in the Durham annex?
Kash Patel (04:59:12):
I believe both.
Russell Fry (04:59:13):
Okay. And so also, in the Durham Annex, which I found interesting was the potential campaign plan was shared with high ranking career officials at DOJ. Isn't that in the Durham Annex?
Kash Patel (04:59:27):
I believe so, sir.
Russell Fry (04:59:29):
The Durham Annex describes that in July of 2016, emails allegedly between Leonard Benardo, senior Vice President of George Soros' Open Society Foundation included data providing specificity on the Clinton plan in an attempt to smear Donald Trump by falsely linking him to Russia. Isn't that in the Durham annex?
Kash Patel (04:59:53):
I believe so.
Russell Fry (04:59:54):
And so briefly, this additional evidence that you've unclassified and released to the American public, what does that purport to show or augment about the Durham Report that you can share with the American people?
Kash Patel (05:00:10):
Put simply, that the FBI was weaponized.
Russell Fry (05:00:13):
Against a political campaign?
Kash Patel (05:00:15):
Yes, sir.
Russell Fry (05:00:16):
Thank you for that. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Jim Jordan (05:00:19):
Gentleman yields back. The…
Jasmine Crocket (05:00:22):
I have UCs.
Jim Jordan (05:00:24):
Gentlelady from Texas recognized for unanimous consent.
Jasmine Crocket (05:00:26):
Yes. First one is Russia's ghostwriter hacker group takes aim at German election. This is from Politico.
Jim Jordan (05:00:34):
Objection.
Jasmine Crocket (05:00:35):
The next one is director of National Intelligence, 30 days until election 2024, which specifically states that our assessments about activities and goals of Russia, Iran, and China are unchanged from earlier election security updates in that they were meddling.
Jim Jordan (05:00:56):
Objection.
Jasmine Crocket (05:00:56):
And I've got three more. The last three are that, how Russia is using artificial intelligence to interfere in elections. Moscow's attempts to interfere in US and other elections are nothing new, though their tactics and strategy are constantly evolving.
Jim Jordan (05:01:15):
Objection.
Jasmine Crocket (05:01:16):
The next one is, Russian interference coming soon to an election near you. Russia pursues a systemic strategy of undermining elections and influencing public opinion. In the West EU and NATO countries must recognize that Moscow often acts through agents within their own borders and build resilience to such interference.
Jim Jordan (05:01:37):
What's the source?
Jasmine Crocket (05:01:38):
This one is Carnegie Endowment.org.
Jim Jordan (05:01:42):
Okay. Without objection.
Jasmine Crocket (05:01:43):
Thank you.
Jim Jordan (05:01:44):
The gentlelady from North Carolina is recognized.
Speaker 30 (05:01:47):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Director Patel, I'm glad that I'm going a little out of order here because I'm going to pursue some of the things that you were just talking to Mr. Fry about and remind you about your confirmation hearing. At your confirmation hearing in January you said under oath, and I quote, "There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by the FBI. Should I be confirmed?" And in your written response to the Senate questionnaire, you said, I quote, "Personnel decisions shall be based on performance and adherence to the law, and every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard and no one will be terminated for case assignments." So I want to just go through a couple of scenarios with you to get a sense of whether you think these are examples of politicization of the FBI or making decisions based on the performance and adherence to the law. So first question, would hiring FBI agents, analysts, and supervisors from only one political party being politicization of the FBI or making personnel decisions based on performance and adherence to the law?
Kash Patel (05:03:16):
We don't ask FBI people applicants where their political parties are.
Speaker 30 (05:03:22):
Mr. Patel, do you ask FBI applicants who they voted for?
Kash Patel (05:03:28):
The FBI does not.
Speaker 30 (05:03:30):
Are you aware that in the lawsuit that Mr. Driscoll filed against you and the FBI, he was asked who he voted for.
Kash Patel (05:03:41):
Since that lawsuit has been filed, that's ongoing litigation, I'm not able to comment.
Speaker 30 (05:03:45):
Well, but it also means that you just said that what happened in his situation didn't happen. So we will go on to the next question. Let me ask you an even easier one. Does firing agents for working on the cases that they were assigned to and that the president didn't like, is that politicization of the FBI or making personnel decisions based on performance and adherence to the law?
Kash Patel (05:04:20):
The FBI doesn't terminate anyone based on case assignments alone.
Speaker 30 (05:04:24):
Has the FBI ever been sued by somebody who felt that they were terminated based on case assignments?
Kash Patel (05:04:31):
In the entire history of the FBI? I'm sure they have.
Speaker 30 (05:04:33):
No. Since your tenure.
Kash Patel (05:04:36):
I'm sure there's ongoing litigation.
Speaker 30 (05:04:38):
Yes. In fact, there is ongoing litigation. And in fact, people have been asked who they voted for. And in fact, you are running an FBI for the President of the United States rather than the people of the United States, because my questions were not hypotheticals. They are the things you have done during your tenure. And according to a lawsuit filed last week by long-term FBI agents, you fired former acting Director Brian Driscoll. He had served with the Bureau for nearly 20 years, earned a Medal of Valor for bravery during the dangerous ISIS raid, and had a wealth of crisis response experience and led the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group. When the Trump administrations interviewed Mr. Driscoll for that role, they interrogated him about his political leanings and who he voted for in the last five elections, questions Mr. Driscoll refused to answer because those types of questions impermissibly politicized the FBI.
(05:05:50)
You also fired Steve Jensen, who served the FBI for nearly two decades and ran critical terrorism, counterintelligence and organized crime operations, whom you once described as embodying what the American public demands of the FBI. But he was fired because he took part in investigating crimes committed on January 6th and Trump's MAGA base lambasted you online for keeping him at the FBI, so he's no longer at the FBI. You also fired a decorated combat veteran with decades of experience in the Bureau, Special Agent Walter Giardia because he worked on the investigation into the Russian interference and the 2016 presidential election and helped investigate Trump's ally, Peter Navarro. Director Patel, it is very clear that you have flunked your own test. You've put saving your job, which I actually believe you were being honest about during your confirmation hearings, over doing what's right for the FBI and the American people. That is not adherence to the law. Thank you. And I yield back.
Jim Jordan (05:07:08):
Time of the gentlelady is expired. The chair now recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.
Speaker 31 (05:07:12):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director Patel, it's great to have this opportunity. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your service. And I've got to say, one of the most disheartening components of the previous administration, when I was working with local law enforcement all over the state of North Carolina, all over the country, people rightfully did not really care about the inner workings of Washington DC. The FBI had previously been the paramount, the sterling, the top of the top law enforcement agency. They wanted their FBI to fight crime, whatever small town, city, whatever it may be, FBI was expected to deliver for the American people. And then reports started to come out, in addition to the likes of McCabe, Comey, Clapper, Strzok, Page, that the FBI was targeting Christian nonprofits. They were targeting parents for protesting radical gender theory at their schools. They targeted Catholics, churches, pro-life organizations, and the FBI was really bruised in just modern-day America.
(05:08:14)
And your focus on getting the FBI back to the streets, fighting criminals, locking up bad guys, whether they're violent criminals, whether they're sex predators, whatever they may be, that is restoring the reputation of the FBI and I thank you for that. In regards to the perceptions, I want to be very clear here, you mentioned the statistics about removing dangerous illegals, removing thousands of kilograms of drugs, violent criminals, guns, the border is secure, these accomplishments are noteworthy and they're needed. But at the same token, I want your take, the fight is not over. Isn't that correct? When we look at what happened in the previous administration, the number of illegal alien criminals that made their way into this country of every type, they're embedded, they're here, and it's going to take a sustained effort to win this battle.
Kash Patel (05:09:05):
That's the critical component, sustained effort, and that's the critical component when you look at what happened in Washington DC, we're not here for four seconds in terms of safeguarding Washington DC. It's a sustained initiative. We're taking it to Memphis and wherever we decide else. And so we are going to continue the mission till it's done.
Speaker 31 (05:09:24):
In regards to offloading some of the agents from Washington DC to the States, to the people, can you just explain how tactically that is a force multiplier in the law enforcement community around the country?
Kash Patel (05:09:36):
Yeah, it's pretty simple. You don't even have to be in law enforcement to know that, if you put cops with other cops, they're going to do cop work.
Speaker 31 (05:09:42):
That's right.
Kash Patel (05:09:43):
And what was needed in the communities out there was more cops. What was not needed in the bloated bureaucracy of Washington DC was a third of the FBI's workforce because a third of the crime does not happen in the Washington DC, NCR area. And so the results speak for themselves. Our state and local partners, I've always said this, are our biggest ally, our greatest ally and partner, and we cannot do the work without them, but we got to send our guys to them.
Speaker 31 (05:10:08):
That's right. And in regards to the last four years, the open border policies, whether it's terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, violent crime, massive amounts of organized retail theft and other types of criminal behavior, can you describe, just so anyone who's listening here can talk about how serious the levels of criminality have become in the United States?
Kash Patel (05:10:29):
Well, unfortunately, in order to have these record-breaking numbers of arrests and seizures, you tragically had to have a record-breaking explosion in violent crime. And it doesn't happen overnight. And it came in from all corners of the earth and from all platforms, including social media. And that's the root cause of all of these evils. And in order to clean it up, it's not going to happen overnight, but the men and women of the FBI, what they did in these seven months, everybody should be talking about it. Every single district in this dais is safer now today than it has ever been because of that work.
Speaker 31 (05:11:07):
In regards to the ongoing political climate, Director Patel, how do sanctuary policies that are still being implemented and defended in certain states, cities, and counties, how do they help or hurt your efforts to make America safer?
Kash Patel (05:11:20):
Well, if you are harboring criminals, you are harboring our ability to keep our community safe. It's that simple. If you have a fugitive warrant for a violent felony offense, and we are not able to procure you because of policies or rules that don't allow us to go get them… And time and time again, we have heard all too many illegal immigrants who should not have been here murdering women, murdering children, giving drugs to our youth and raping our children, and that is unacceptable.
Speaker 31 (05:11:50):
Straightly put, can you separate immigration enforcement with fighting crime?
Kash Patel (05:11:55):
They're intertwined.
Speaker 31 (05:11:56):
Thank you. In regards to policies like cashless bail, how does that help or hurt your efforts?
Kash Patel (05:12:02):
Criminals know that there are certain jurisdictions, where if they shoot someone, they'll be out the door within the next hour to do it again. And that's an ethos and a system that has been built out over years that we are combating.
Speaker 31 (05:12:16):
How is defunding the police around the country, how has that helped or hurt?
Kash Patel (05:12:20):
As long as I'm in this seat, we're not defunding any cops.
Speaker 31 (05:12:23):
Good. Thank you, Director. I yield back.
Jim Jordan (05:12:25):
Gentleman yields back. Mr. Garcia is recognized.
Robert Garcia (05:12:28):
Thank you, Chairman Jordan, and welcome again, Director Patel. As members of the Judiciary Committee, we have a responsibility to conduct oversight of the FBI and assess whether or not you're doing a good job in a responsible and impartial manner, or whether you're just a henchman for Donald Trump, who's weaponizing the Bureau at the expense of public safety. As Congressman, your tenure is the Bureau's expanded role in low-level non-criminal immigration enforcement. I have a report here from the conservative Cato Institute. They've obtained ICE documents showing that over 2,500 FBI personnel are now working on immigration enforcement. A yes or no question, did you sign off on this?
Kash Patel (05:13:25):
2,500 FBI employees are not currently working on immigration enforcement.
Robert Garcia (05:13:29):
Did you sign off on this?
Kash Patel (05:13:31):
On the Cato report?
Robert Garcia (05:13:33):
On the 2,500 FBI personnel that have been reported to now be working on immigration enforcement?
Kash Patel (05:13:41):
I couldn't have signed off on it because it's not happening.
Robert Garcia (05:13:46):
You can call it whatever you want, but the reality is that over 2,000 personnel individuals are now working at ICE instead of their jobs. I want to follow up on something that Senator Durbin asked you about yesterday. This article from MSNBC reports that nearly every agent on Baltimore's domestic terrorism unit, who was by the way, investigating the 764 network of child predators, was diverted to work on immigration enforcement full-time. That forced them to, and I quote him, "Walk away from investigations of a network of violent predators that targets and exploits children online." Yes or no? Were you aware that this happened, and did you sign off on it?
Kash Patel (05:14:42):
The premise is false. The 764 network in Baltimore is taken down and FBI agents do double and triple duty all the time [inaudible 05:14:50]-
Robert Garcia (05:14:50):
Reclaiming my time, you told Senator Durbin yesterday you didn't know about it, so your testimony is inconsistent today.
Kash Patel (05:14:59):
No, I found out.
Robert Garcia (05:14:59):
Final question.
Robert Garcia (05:15:01):
Let me ask you again a yes or no question. Are you aware that agents have been told by supervisors not to documenting their shifting of resources toward immigration related work?
Kash Patel (05:15:18):
It's a literal another falsehood. It's impossible to me move a human being without documenting that work.
Robert Garcia (05:15:25):
As FBI director, you must be transparent with Congress. You need to provide us information about how many agents have been diverted to non-criminal immigration enforcement, why the Baltimore Unit was dismantled, and whether there's a cover-up of what's happening under your leadership. Because this goes to the heart of whether or not you're carrying out the stated mission of the FBI, keeping our communities safe. Diverting FBI agents from investigating violent child predators doesn't make us safer. Using FBI resources to target parents, children, and other immigrants for low-level non-criminal enforcement doesn't make us safer.
(05:16:12)
Enabling violent lawless conduct by federal enforcement doesn't make us safer as we saw last week when an ICE officer killed one of my constituents, and I know that the FBI has been involved in that investigation, and yesterday ICE did a raid in the suburb of Elgin where two US citizens were arrested and who accompanied them on that filming of that show, Secretary Noem, shameful conduct, and weaponizing the FBI to serve Donald Trump's political agenda instead of the American people does not make us safer.
(05:16:54)
Before I yield back, Mr. Chairman, I request unanimous consent to submit the following documents for the record, a report from the Cato Institute, which I referenced earlier, which where ICE has diverted over 2,500 officers from their jobs. And two, an article from MSNBC titled Trump's Deportations Divert FBI Agents Off Child Predator Cases, and an article from CNN entitled White House Pressure for Increased Immigration Arrests Strains Law Enforcement Agencies. Thank you and I yield back.
Jim Jordan (05:17:33):
Gentleman yields back. Without objection, the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized.
Speaker 32 (05:17:35):
Thank you and thank you by the way for coming over here. Sorry, you have to put up with all this. I know when you took over the FBI's reputation in a lot of circles, perhaps you've never been lower. I mean part of that is brazen involvement in political activity, the foreign influence task force getting involved and trying to suppress news stories in the New York Post Crossfire hurricane coming up with bogus stories to try to flip the 2016 election. FBI downplaying the stories of Hillary Clinton's emails in the 2016 election. That's their overt involvement in political activity. I think a strong anti-religious bias. We talked about stories and anti-Catholic bias in there. I know I've talked to people about horrific overreaction at the big Hindu temple in New Jersey in which just so people understand, you had a rectory in the temple area, the religious leaders taken out at gunpoint, big problems.
(05:18:52)
And I think finally the FBI trying to turn America's viewpoint on certain political issues. And when I talk about that, I'm talking about what was done in Mexico with regard to shipping weapons, fast and furious shipping weapons into Mexico in an effort I think to try to turn the Americans against the First Amendment. But in any event, what scares me is, and all these horrible things that were done in the past, there were individual FBI agents who participated in which apparently there's supervisors told them this is okay or even admirable. And what I'm going to ask you, are you able to do anything to make sure that in the future these corrupted FBI agents understand the importance of religion in our life?
(05:19:44)
And they're not to be viewed with suspicion. They understand parental rights and the idea that traditionally in America parents have the ability to object when their young five or six-year-old children or year olds or very young children are getting what most people consider highly inappropriate sexual contact. What are we doing there to try to make sure we don't have problems with these FBI agents again, or make sure that in the future administrations they would object if they are asked to behave in such a immoral passion?
Kash Patel (05:20:23):
Two things. If you are corrupt, you don't work at the FBI. It's that simple. So we don't tolerate any form of corruption or any deviation from our high standards, whether you're an agent, an intel analyst or whatnot. And just to show the American public the resurrection that the FBI has had in these last seven months, you don't have to believe me, our applicant pool has doubled month over month every year from the highest point it has ever been. More people want to work at this FBI than ever before in US history.
Speaker 32 (05:20:57):
I am sure that's because of you and you're anticipating my next question. I talked to retired FBI agents in my area who sometimes retired in part because they hated the woke anti-conservative culture at the FBI and they are concerned, the retiring agents, about new agents, not on your watch, but before this, being corrupted in the universities before they were hired. And they're very worried about what will happen with the new agents. So I think you're answering my question. Do you feel you'll be able to a certain extent solve the problem of inappropriately woke agents filling up the agency in the past because now you're going to have a larger pool to draw from?
Kash Patel (05:21:40):
Everybody that comes to work at the FBI is allowed to have their own belief system, but they're not allowed to bring that belief system into the workplace. And anyone that does won't work at the FBI.
Speaker 32 (05:21:50):
Okay, very good. Now recently, there's another potential scandal, I guess a politically motivated thing, Arctic Frost. Do you want to comment on that? And it appears one more time as perhaps the FBI was getting involved in what would normally be considered political events.
Kash Patel (05:22:15):
We are not getting involved in political events except this one.
Speaker 32 (05:22:20):
Okay. And final thing with regard to prejudice against Catholics, what happened in the big Hindu temple there in New Jersey, has anybody ever apologized to the Catholic Church or apologized to that temple?
Kash Patel (05:22:38):
I don't know, sir.
Speaker 32 (05:22:40):
Okay. Is that something you think would be perhaps a good idea to do in the future?
Kash Patel (05:22:43):
I think leadership should address it.
Speaker 32 (05:22:45):
Thank you.
Jim Jordan (05:22:47):
Gentlemen, time has expired. Gentleman yields back. Oh, so we got the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Harris.
Speaker 33 (05:22:57):
All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Director Patel, for your endurance and your perseverance throughout today's hearing and for all you've shared. First of all, let me start by saying that I was very grateful and glad to see that the FBI has joined the investigation of the tragic and brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, which is just right by my district. This woman, as you know, fled the war in Ukraine only to be killed in cold blood by a man who had no business being on the streets whatsoever. This man who had been seen stabbing Iryna to death on video had been arrested 14 previous times, served prison time, and was diagnosed with a severe mental illness. In response to the previous offense, the magistrate over his case released him to roam the streets with a $0 bond and a simple written promise to appear in court. Mr. Patel, let me just ask, should judges apply the most lenient bail standards to people with extensive criminal history?
Kash Patel (05:23:56):
Do they apply the most lenient? I'm sorry.
Speaker 33 (05:23:58):
Should they apply the most lenient bail standards to people with extensive criminal history?
Kash Patel (05:24:02):
That has not been my experience. That should not happen.
Speaker 33 (05:24:05):
Is America a place where young women should fear to ride public transit?
Kash Patel (05:24:10):
No.
Speaker 33 (05:24:11):
And was Iryna Zarutska's death, would you say, possibly the result of Democrats pro-crime policies?
Kash Patel (05:24:18):
That investigation and matter is in open trial, so I don't want to stylize the evidence.
Speaker 33 (05:24:24):
I understand. Well, Mr. Patel, let me just say, taking over the FBI after the Biden administration's blatant weaponization of the agency is no easy feat as we've recognized throughout this hearing today. For four years, we witnessed the Biden administration targeting regular Americans rather than violent criminals. For example, the Biden administration's FBI spent its time and resources going after churches and Christians. We know that the FBI used an undercover agent to collect information about a parishioner. We know that the FBI investigated and surveilled a Catholic priest, and all of this was in response to First Amendment protected activity. Mr. Patel, I want to ask you, should the FBI use its resources to spy on Catholics?
Kash Patel (05:25:08):
Never.
Speaker 33 (05:25:09):
So what does it say about the culture of the Biden FBI that law enforcement resources were used to go after Catholics and some FBI employees were comfortable with taking such actions?
Kash Patel (05:25:21):
Well, pursuant to my transparency initiative and working with Congress on oversight, those documents, that's it. Those documents are available for the American public to see and read and hold people accountable, and that's what I'm committed to.
Speaker 33 (05:25:33):
And so have you been able to hold accountable those at the FBI who went after law-abiding Catholic Church members?
Kash Patel (05:25:39):
If they did so improperly, yes.
Speaker 33 (05:25:42):
Well, I've been a pastor for 36 years and I've constantly stood up for life and stood up for family, missed a culture that's increasingly hostile to both of those things. And if the Biden administration targeted Catholics, could I have been targeted by the Ray FBI as well?
Kash Patel (05:25:59):
Well, I don't know, but I'm not going to target you.
Speaker 33 (05:26:02):
Well, I know that President Trump respects religious liberty and that his administration is seeking to right the wrongs of the Biden administration. Securing our freedoms and protecting faith leaders and communities requires a multipronged approach. What would you say in just the last few moments, what is the FBI under your leadership doing to make sure that our religious liberty and religious leaders can rest comfortable this evening?
Kash Patel (05:26:27):
Zealously protecting our First Amendment rights, but zealously going after those that abuse that right that leads to criminal conduct. You will be investigated, you will be looked at and referred to prosecution every single time the evidence warrants.
Speaker 33 (05:26:42):
Thank you, sir. One final area. I do want to draw attention, Mr. Patel, to Waxhaw, North Carolina, a town in my district that just fell victim to a cyber attack on September that interrupted emergency services. Waxhaw's working with state partners and the FBI has been notified on this attack, and I certainly pray they're able to help out with the ongoing investigation. Could you just speak to what the FBI is doing to bolster our community's cybersecurity to defend against any future cyber attacks?
Kash Patel (05:27:13):
Well, in North Carolina, you're slated to get a plus up of 22 FBI employees, and they're already on the way. And that encompasses cyber counter-intel, counterterrorism, field agents, intel operatives, and what we're doing on a macro level on the counter-intelligence and cyber front is going after the people that fund these operations on these online platforms and breaking their banks. Because once we do that successfully across the board, they won't have the ability to attack us.
Speaker 33 (05:27:42):
Well, thank you, Director Patel. And let me just add my comments to those of my colleagues that are very grateful for your leadership, grateful for your courage, your consistency, and for being willing to stand in the gap for us. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Jim Jordan (05:27:57):
Gentleman, yields back. Gentleman from Missouri is recognized.
Speaker 34 (05:28:01):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Director Patel, thank you for being here with us today. Over the past few years, we have seen a disturbing increase of attacks on Christians and conservatives. Since the leak of the Dobbs decision, there have been 354 attacks on Catholic churches. In the first year following the leak, there were more than a hundred attacks against pro-life pregnancy care centers and the shadowy pro-abortion group, Jane's Revenge, claimed responsibility for two dozen of these attacks. Meanwhile, the Biden FBI focused resources on attacking Catholics and peaceful pro-life protesters like Mark Houck and Paul Vaughn.
(05:28:41)
Many of these attacks on Christians and conservatives were coordinated or praised by dark leftist cells who lurk on the online chat rooms of Reddit, Discord, and game sites. This is a war room for Antifa and violent transgender activists. There have been essentially no incidents of violence by Catholics, pro-lifers or parents at school board meetings, but there have unfortunately been multiple shootings motivated by leftist and transgender ideology, including recent attacks in Nashville, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Aberdeen.
(05:29:13)
Worse, the targeted violence reached a boiling point this past month. A few weeks ago, an anti-Christian transgender terrorist murdered two children and injured 17 in a shooting at a Catholic mass. And last week while we were sitting in this committee room almost to the hour, Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a 22-year-old who appears to have been motivated by leftist and transgender ideology. As you confirmed yesterday to my Senate colleagues, he may not have acted alone. And you testified that in his online chat room of more than 20 trans ideologues that you are aware, I believe you said many more, many were aware of and possibly complicit in the assassination. Director Patel, in light of the increased violence emanating from the far left, is your FBI investigating this violent trend of anti-religious Antifa and transgender driven violence?
Kash Patel (05:30:12):
All of it across the board is being zealously investigated no matter what your motivation or bias is behind it.
Speaker 34 (05:30:20):
Very good. We've also noticed a dramatic surge of the number of clinics offering so-called gender-affirming care. Whistleblowers in a recent NIH study confirmed that these clinics prey on some of the most mentally ill children and young adults in our society. And these clinics are quick to prescribe life-altering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery. And often these patients get worse rather than better. And unfortunately, some have become violence. Some have even committed mass shootings and the partner of one of them assassinated, Charlie Kirk. Director Patel, is the FBI looking into the role that these gender clinics may have in the recent attacks in making these mentally ill individuals violent?
Kash Patel (05:31:10):
We're looking at the entire spiderweb for any of these attacks, be it Denver or Charlie or where have you. And that's why our investigations are ongoing. We don't have a final product yet.
Speaker 34 (05:31:26):
One of my Democrat colleagues, as an aside, mentioned, "The federal takeover of our cities." And I don't know whether my Democrat colleagues for some reason liked Washington DC better when it was more dangerous and more violent when there were more robberies and carjackings and murders and rapes. But what has the crime picture in Washington DC looked like since the so-called federal takeover?
Kash Patel (05:31:56):
2,100 arrests, 37% decrease in violent crime, same time last year. 60% decrease in gun crimes, 74% decrease in carjackings and 53% reduction in homicides in Washington DC in the last month alone.
Speaker 34 (05:32:12):
Very good. And thank you so much for your testimony. I know it's been a long been day, so I'll give you a little break and yield back the rest of my time.
Jim Jordan (05:32:24):
Gentleman yield?
Speaker 34 (05:32:25):
Yes, yes.
Jim Jordan (05:32:28):
Director Patel, what's a 302?
Kash Patel (05:32:31):
It's a report, the number of the report when ever an FBI agent goes out and interviews someone.
Jim Jordan (05:32:38):
And are you familiar with the 302 where the FBI agent interviewed the whistleblower who's come forward and talked about the former chair of the intel committee here in the house pushing staff members to leak classified information? Well, I'll just read from it. Staffers were instructed to use… This is from the 302 interview this person. Staffers were instructed to use any sources that had developed within the United States intelligence community to gather information which would then be made public through the media in order to compel public opinion. You familiar with that?
Kash Patel (05:33:10):
I am.
Jim Jordan (05:33:10):
Yeah. And that's how they played the game, leaking information, classified or otherwise, true or otherwise, to create this public opinion to compel action to undermine the president. Is that accurate?
Kash Patel (05:33:23):
I believe so.
Jim Jordan (05:33:24):
Just one other point I would make from this witness also said in 302 that the agent recorded that the witness provided the interviewing agents with copies of both his handwritten notes and an email. So he gave him the stuff he wrote and at the actual time this was taking place. That's all in the 302, right?
Kash Patel (05:33:47):
Yes, sir.
Jim Jordan (05:33:48):
All right.
Speaker 34 (05:33:50):
Mr. Chairman.
Jim Jordan (05:33:51):
Gentleman from Missouri.
Speaker 34 (05:33:52):
Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit for the record and article from The Hill "Massive crime drop in DC -- city sees zero- murder week" dated August 25th, 2025. And I'd also like to submit for the record an article from The New York Times dated April 18th, 2025, "Man Who Set Fire to Shapiro's Mansion Cited Treatment of Palestinians, Police Say."
Jim Jordan (05:34:16):
Yeah, thank you. Without objection. Gentlelady from Texas and then Pennsylvania.
Speaker 35 (05:34:21):
Thank you so much. First you see is the FBI a letter to Congress on summary terminations where it states denying fundamental due process and summarily dismissing special agents, while only make it harder to protect our nation. These actions distract agents from their work, foster fear that their assignments could cost them their careers either now or under the next administration and increase the risk of criminal and national security threats by undermining unity and morale within the bureau.
Jim Jordan (05:34:53):
Without objection.
Speaker 35 (05:34:54):
The next one is a CNN article, "FBI agents are again pulled from their day jobs to address a Trump priority." It states, "Morale is the worst I've seen," said one law enforcement source. The bureau is becoming unrecognizable. Lots of people are weighing really difficult decisions right now.
Jim Jordan (05:35:13):
Without objection. Gentlelady from Pennsylvania's recognized.
Speaker 36 (05:35:18):
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd request unanimous consent to introduce into the record a September 16th, 2025 article in The New Republic entitled DOJ Quietly Deletes Study on Politics of Domestic Terrorists.
(05:35:31)
The Justice Department has taken down a study that proves Republicans entire narrative wrong about left wing violence.
Jim Jordan (05:35:37):
Without objection.
Speaker 36 (05:35:37):
Thank you.
Jim Jordan (05:35:40):
Gentleman from Washington is recognized.
Speaker 37 (05:35:43):
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Director, for being here. I think without question we can say that Donald Trump has been tougher on crime and tougher on international terrorism than any president in American history. I imagine that brings you a lot of satisfaction and pride as director of America's foremost a lot enforcement agency. Recently, President Trump conducted very strategic and important strikes on Iran's nuclear apparatus in that country. We also know that there are concerns of significant Iranian sleeper terrorist cells here in the US, perhaps exacerbated by the open border during the Biden administration. What can you tell Congress and the American people about what the FBI is doing to safeguard us from potential terrorist attack by Iranian cells?
Kash Patel (05:36:40):
So our counterterrorism division, which is fully stocked up, watches for reflections in the intelligence streams that our intelligence community collects and produces and works hand in glove with our partners at the CIA and elsewhere to make sure that any threat, even if it's hearsay, double hearsay, triple hearsay or totally incredible, is not only fully run down, but we also take our duties to notify and give defensive briefings to those who are mentioned in those intelligence reports to make sure that we do both our notification obligation and our investigatory obligation.
Speaker 37 (05:37:13):
Thank you. The FBI is also the foremost counter-intelligence apparatus here in the US. We know the US faces a more complex array of global threats in anytime perhaps World War II or even superseding that time as America continues to be under attack from various intelligence agencies globally. What can you tell us about the counter-intelligence operations of the FBI as a core function?
Kash Patel (05:37:45):
This is why the CIA mission is so important to the FBI because as you said, no one else can do it. No one else has the authorities to do it. And even if they did, they don't have the capabilities to do it. And the CIA mission has to be headquartered in Washington but have far-reaching capabilities because we have to face against our adversaries in the DPRK, in Russia, China, Iran, and elsewhere. And in order to do that, we have to have dedicated intelligence professionals on those target sets. And since I become director, I've demanded not only a dismantling and disruption of networks, but a public display of how we're doing it. So the world knows that our adversary is, A, attacking us, and B, we're stopping them. And that's why you've seen these dramatic increases in counter-intelligence arrest in the PRC by 33%, in Russia 83%, in Iran 60%. We are showing the world that they are trying to engage in espionage activities against us and we are holding them accountable publicly.
Speaker 37 (05:38:42):
There's been increasing about the Maduro regime of Venezuela, both their potential support of terrorist activity, criminal drug networks, and potential espionage entities here within the US. What can you tell us about your activities regarding the Maduro regime of Venezuela?
Kash Patel (05:39:01):
Generally speaking, one of the largest transshipment points and shipment points for narcotics out of South America, Colombia obviously, and also Venezuela is being utilized heavily by the narco traffickers to send up cocaine, meth, and fentanyl and, excuse me, all the other illegal narcotics through the island change in the Caribbean Ocean and ultimately for America. So there has to be more work done in the region to stop those navigable waterways from being traversed with drugs bound for America.
Speaker 37 (05:39:34):
And finally, Mr. Director, what is the one thing that Congress could most do in terms of passing a law to best support the FBI in making America safer and more secure?
Kash Patel (05:39:47):
Get us more authorities to get online, to get onto social media companies, gaming platforms, have legal access and also have private partnerships with the FBI of those companies and allow them to report into us on a daily basis. There is no human being or AI system on earth that can go out there and cover down on the threat in those theaters. And so we need the assistance and we need more authorities and we need the private sector to double down.
Speaker 37 (05:40:15):
Well, thank you very much for all you're doing, all the men and the women of the FBI are doing to keep us safe and I yield back.
Jim Jordan (05:40:22):
Gentleman yields back. Got a UC request from the gentleman from Arizona.
Speaker 38 (05:40:24):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an article titled FBI flooded with record number of new agent applications in Kash Patel's first month. The FBI saw 5,577 new agent applications from March and more than 10,000 since January.
Jim Jordan (05:40:39):
Without objection. The gentleman from Kansas is recognize.
Speaker 39 (05:40:44):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Director, thank you for being here. I have listened carefully to all the discussion in this hearing. I've reached two top-line conclusions. First, I am glad I don't have your job, and second, I am glad you do. Thank you for being willing to step up and serve in this role. I'd like to plow a little bit of ground that we've not spent a lot of time on so far and explore. You've mentioned, and I'm well aware of your strong commitment to partnering with state and local law enforcement authorities.
(05:41:13)
Obviously one of the missions is in the counter-drug space. Another is in the forensic laboratory space where both you and a lot of local and state agencies cooperate in terms of evidence analysis. From the state side, programs such as the HIDTA programs, very, very important in counter-drug such as the Coverdell grants. Very, very important in maintaining state laboratory capacities. Would I be correct in concluding that if we are able to maintain robust for those types of programs, including both Coverdell and HIDTA, that would contribute to the safety of the United States and to your mission?
Kash Patel (05:41:50):
Absolutely.
Speaker 39 (05:41:53):
Director, you have talked a little bit about some of the counter-drug work that you've been doing. One thing we haven't talked about yet, the president in one of his first actions upon taking office back in January designated a number of the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. That's not just a paper transaction. I believe the list has been expanded since those first actions in terms of America's military engagement with the cartels abroad. In terms of our intelligence engagement with them abroad, that designation has had real meaning and has affected some of the thinking and approaches of our military and our intelligence community. Can you talk a bit about how that designation might be affecting or should be affecting the FBI's approach to dealing with the domestic activities of the cartels?
Kash Patel (05:42:39):
The simple way to analogize it is after 9/11 and the manhunt for the foreign terrorist organizations overseas in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, the FBI received certain authorities to go out there and dedicate a mission to go after them both lawfully and investigatorially and collect evidence and provide it to our agent. Interesting partners. Once the foreign terrorist organization designation was labeled over to the Mexican drug cartels, we can now do that here and in Mexico and in Colombia and in Venezuela and anywhere else they are. And so that's the best analogy I have. What we're able to do is to take our counterterrorism platform traditionally used for global terrorist manhunting and bring it into this hemisphere against a very real threat, which is the drug traffickers and they are foreign terrorist organizations. So we just have so many more resources and authorities now directed at them.
Speaker 39 (05:43:29):
So for example, Director, in the regions from the vantage point of local law enforcement, there are structures that have historically handled those partnerships separately. HIDTA, for example, is an example on the drug trafficking side, the JTTFs are an example on the terrorism side. How is the thinking evolving in terms of on a regional basis either merging or not merging those structures now that the targets in many ways are merged?
Kash Patel (05:43:51):
So the JTTFs are kind of our forward operating base across every single state in this country to take on that mission. And anytime you're labeled a foreign terrorist organization, you come right under the authorities of the JTTF, the task force officers and the state and local level police work that gets done in those JTTFs. And the Homeland Security Task Force layer on top of that, I think 25 or 30 across the country, specifically working with DHS and Secretary Noem to go after the drug trafficking foreign terrorist organizations because they have unique capabilities and authorities dedicated to that mission. And so that's the beauty of the HSTFs.
Speaker 39 (05:44:25):
Let me ask you an adjacent question, Director. I noticed in your written testimony, I don't think we've talked about it yet, you brought to our attention an expiring authority. It's in 6 U.S.C. 124n with respect to counter UAS drones. You point out that that authority expires in statute the end of this month and you impressed upon is your interest in seeing it extended in some manner. Can you talk a little bit about the FBI's role in counter-UAS work over American airspace? I represent a district that's going to host some of the FIFA World Cup activities coming up. We're obviously very interested in security and there are limits on what our state and local authorities have the capacity to do or what our military has the capacity to do once the threat is domestic.
Kash Patel (05:45:09):
So it's critically important. Both the FBI and DHS have those capabilities. I'll speak to the FBI of course only, and you raised the World Cup and that's exactly what we needed for. The Club World Cup, which just happened, was 32 games in at least a dozen different cities across the country, the largest sporting events consecutive in American history. And we used our counter-drone tape abilities to not only inspect and secure stadium locations, but where fans were hovering and we call base camps. And thankfully because of the success of the FBI and DHS, we had no significant security incidences and flipping to the World Cup, which is going to be three times as large and obviously the largest we've ever had blending into the LA Olympics in '28, our counter-UAS capabilities are going to be the ones that are able us to have literal bird's-eye view of the threat dynamic around so many of these cities, which you're going to see literally tens and hundreds of thousands of people flock to them. So we have to have it.
Speaker 39 (05:46:06):
And making sure the bad guys don't have the same.
Jim Jordan (05:46:08):
Exactly.
Speaker 39 (05:46:09):
Very good. I yield back and thank you.
Jim Jordan (05:46:11):
Gentleman yields back. Director, you've been amazing. You've been here four hours and 41 minutes without a break. We appreciate that. I think we have one more member, a few UC requests and then we'll let you go, but we appreciate that. The gentleman from Texas is recognized.
Speaker 40 (05:46:29):
Thank you again for taking the time, Director Patel, and for Chairman Jordan for holding this hearing. Thank you for depoliticizing the FBI and getting it back to its original mission as well. Director Patel, do you agree that we have a problem in the United States with politically motivated violence?
Kash Patel (05:46:48):
Absolutely.
Speaker 40 (05:46:49):
And I very much agree. I think we can all agree that political violence is wrong, it's evil regardless of which side it comes from and that we can all adamantly and vehemently reject it or we certainly should. But one of the things that we've noticed recently is that affinity and tolerance for political violence is not equally distributed on both sides of the aisle. In fact, right now, social media is filled with leftists who are cheering on the murder of an iconic conservative political figure, Charlie Kirk. And it's not just random people on Twitter doing this now, there's a YouGov poll released just a few days ago, which stated that 25% of those who identify as very liberal believe that political violence can sometimes be justified. That's far too many, is it not? It is.
Kash Patel (05:47:43):
One is far too many.
Speaker 40 (05:47:44):
One is far too many. That's right. Only 3% of very conservatives said the same thing. And we can agree that 3% is far too many, but there's an astounding difference between 25% on the left accepting and tolerating political violence and 3% on the right. I would hope that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle would also recognize that there is a systemic problem on their side of the aisle with tolerance for violence against people with whom they politically disagree that there is a cultural rot on their side of the aisle that needs to be addressed desperately. Would you agree with that?
Kash Patel (05:48:27):
Yes.
Speaker 40 (05:48:29):
One of the more astounding aspects of this is that it's not just people. This comes from the very top, from their political leaders. Just a few days ago, a member of Congress of this body, Ilhan Omar, shared a video on her social media account about Charlie Kirk's murder. And I'll quote what it said. It said, "Charlie Kirk was Dr. Frankenstein and his monster shot him through the neck." In other words, Charlie had it coming to him. The words that he said naturally led to his assassination. I mean, that is a reprehensible thing for a member of Congress to say, to suggest, to promote in any capacity.
(05:49:12)
And there are people across this country who are losing their jobs for far less than this. And that, by the way, is a just response to acceptance and tolerance of political violence. It's amazing to me that the political left today who were the originators and the cheerleaders of cancel culture now have the backbone to attack conservatives for defending their assassinated friend. But there's a key difference here. Democrats want to silence conservatives for speaking obvious self-evident ontological truths like that men aren't women and men can't get pregnant. That seems pretty basic. That seems like a basic truth that we should all be able to agree on.
Speaker 40 (05:50:00):
On. Republicans, by contrast, are recognizing that a constitutional republic depends on the free and open exchange of ideas that we can debate without violence, and that assassinating a political rival is evil, it's wrong, and it should not be glorified or promoted or justified in any way, including in the way that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar did. So Mr. Patel, thank you again for being here. I'd like to, with the remainder of my time, just get your opinion. Does the FBI recognize the rising threat of political violence in America and what can you guys do to address it?
Kash Patel (05:50:45):
Yes we do and what we can do to address it, Congressman, is we need to get online partnerships with these companies in the public space, on these gaming sites, and on these social media sites. As I was saying earlier, there is no way to triage the amount of information generated on these sites by the FBI alone, and we need the public-private partnership. And there's another law that's expiring I think at the end of this month, which I believe we need renewed, that allows private sector companies to report into the FBI, without liability, for criminal investigatory purposes. And that's the kind of stuff we need to keep going.
Speaker 40 (05:51:20):
Got it. Thank you, Director Patel. We really appreciate it.
Kash Patel (05:51:22):
Thank you.
Jim Jordan (05:51:23):
Gentleman yields back-
Andy Biggs (05:51:24):
Mr. Chairman.
Jim Jordan (05:51:27):
Gentleman from Arizona.
Andy Biggs (05:51:28):
I have some UCs.
Jim Jordan (05:51:30):
Gentleman to state his request.
Andy Biggs (05:51:31):
Thank you. First one is a piece entitled Review of Domestic Terrorism After [inaudible 05:51:36] Murder shows Biden politicized issue, the intel and fudged the data.
Speaker X (05:51:42):
No objection.
Andy Biggs (05:51:43):
Thank you. Make a motion to table.
Jim Jordan (05:51:48):
Hold on, wait. We got to recognize the ranking member for his motion.
Mr. Raskin (05:51:53):
It is just a UC request.
Jim Jordan (05:51:56):
The gentleman is recognized for a UC request.
Mr. Raskin (05:51:57):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is the ADL report issued February 21, 2025, titled Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2024, concluding that, for the third year in a row, every single extremist-related murder in the United States in 2024 was committed by right-wing extremists-
Jim Jordan (05:52:16):
Object.
Mr. Raskin (05:52:17):
… eight of the 13 involving white supremacists, and five having connections to far-right anti-government extremists.
Jim Jordan (05:52:22):
Objection. The gentlelady from Pennsylvania is recognized for unanimous consent.
Ms. Scanlon (05:52:28):
Yes. Thank you. I have a couple of articles here. First is a New York Post article. July 17th, 2025. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden claims big Epstein file full of actionable information locked in Treasury Department drawer.
Jim Jordan (05:52:44):
Objection.
Ms. Scanlon (05:52:46):
This is The Guardian. May 18th, 2023. Deutsche Bank agrees to pay $75 million to settle Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit.
Jim Jordan (05:52:56):
No objection.
Ms. Scanlon (05:52:56):
This is Fox Business. September 10th, 2025. JP Morgan processed over 1 billion for Jeffrey Epstein despite internal concerns over sex offender status.
Jim Jordan (05:53:07):
Objection.
Ms. Scanlon (05:53:09):
And New York Times. Bank of America flagged suspicious payments to Epstein only after he died.
Jim Jordan (05:53:14):
Objection.
Ms. Scanlon (05:53:15):
Okay. And I also have a motion, Mr. Chair.
Jim Jordan (05:53:19):
Lady was recognized. We're going to come back to the motion. I thought it was made by Mr. … I want to dismiss our witness.
Mr. Raskin (05:53:26):
Could we do the motions before he goes?
Jim Jordan (05:53:28):
What are the motions?
Mr. Raskin (05:53:30):
One [inaudible 05:53:31] I just wanted to press the motion I originally had.
Jim Jordan (05:53:33):
We're going to bring that up. Is that what this is?
Mr. Raskin (05:53:35):
Four banks.
Jim Jordan (05:53:36):
Are you doing that?
Ms. Scanlon (05:53:37):
No, this is another motion.
Jim Jordan (05:53:39):
Okay. Well, I'm going to recognize first the gentleman, because we held that motion in advance, the gentleman from-
Mr. Raskin (05:53:43):
It's still a UC, Mr. Chairman. Thank you Mr. Chairman. So look, there are four banks. JP Morgan, Bank of New York, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank.
Jim Jordan (05:53:53):
The gentleman can state his motion.
Mr. Raskin (05:53:55):
Yeah, the motion is to subpoena the CEOs of these four banks to bring in all records relating to their relationship to Jeffrey Epstein and to produce all records reflecting it. These four banks have flagged, to the government, $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions relating to [inaudible 05:54:13].
Jim Jordan (05:54:13):
Mr. [inaudible 05:54:14], I moved to table.
Mr. Raskin (05:54:15):
Mr. Dimon just released a statement saying he would be happy to comply.
Speaker X (05:54:18):
Chairman. Need I need-
Jim Jordan (05:54:19):
The motion to table. The motion offered by the gentleman from Maryland. The motion to table is not debatable. The question occurs on the motion to table. Those in favor say aye.
Group (05:54:27):
Aye.
Jim Jordan (05:54:27):
Those opposed? No.
Group (05:54:28):
No.
Jim Jordan (05:54:29):
Opinion of the chair. The ayes have it. The motion is tabled.
Speaker X (05:54:31):
I'd like a recorded vote if we could, Mr. Chair.
Jim Jordan (05:54:33):
Recorded vote being requested. The clerk will call. Well, we've got to get the clerk here.
Speaker X (05:54:36):
She's here.
Jim Jordan (05:54:37):
The clerk's right here. Wonderful. Clerk can call the roll?
Madam Clerk (05:54:42):
Mr. Jordan.
Speaker X (05:54:42):
Yes.
Jim Jordan (05:54:42):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (05:54:42):
Mr. Jordan votes yes. Mr. Issa. Mr. Biggs. Mr. Biggs votes aye. Mr. McClintock.
Mr. McClintock (05:54:48):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:54:48):
Mr. McClintock votes aye. Mr. Tiffany. Mr. Massie. Mr. Roy.
Mr. Roy (05:54:54):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:54:55):
Mr. Roy votes aye. Mr. Fitzgerald. Mr. Cline.
Mr. Cline (05:54:59):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:55:00):
Mr. Cline votes aye. Mr. Gooden. Mr. Van Drew. Mr. Nehls.
Mr. Nehls (05:55:05):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (05:55:06):
Mr. Nels votes yes. Mr. Moore.
Mr. Moore (05:55:08):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (05:55:09):
Mr. Moore votes yes. Mr. Kiley. Ms. Hageman, Ms. Lee. Mr. Hunt. Mr. Fry? Mr. Grothman. Mr. Grothman votes aye. Mr. Knott.
Mr. Knott (05:55:19):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Knott votes aye. Mr. Harris.
Mr. Harris (05:55:19):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Harris votes aye. Mr. Onder.
Mr. Onder (05:55:19):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Onder votes aye. Mr. Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt votes aye. Mr. Gill.
Mr. Gill (05:55:19):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Gill votes aye. Mr. Baumgartner. Mr. Raskin
Mr. Raskin (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Raskin votes no. Mr. Nadler.
Mr. Nadler (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Nadler votes no. Ms. Lofgren.
Ms. Lofgren (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Ms. Lofgren votes no. Mr. Cohen. Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Johnson votes no. Mr. Swalwell.
Mr. Swalwell (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Swalwell votes no. Mr. Lieu. Ms. Jayapal. Mr. Correa. Ms. Scanlon.
Ms. Scanlon (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Ms. Scanlon votes no. Mr. Neguse.
Mr. Neguse (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Neguse votes no. Ms. McBath.
Ms. McBath (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Ms. McBath votes no. Ms. Ross.
Ms. Ross (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Ms. Ross votes no. Ms. Balint.
Ms. Balint (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Ms. Balint votes no. Mr. Garcia.
Mr. Garcia (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:19):
Mr. Garcia votes no. Ms. Kamlager-Dove. Mr. Moskowitz.
Mr. Moskowitz (05:55:19):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:55:21):
Mr. Moskowitz votes no. Mr. Goldman. Mr. Goldman. Ms. Crockett.
Ms. Crockett (05:56:37):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:56:38):
Ms. Crockett votes no.
Jim Jordan (05:56:43):
Gentleman from Texas. Mr. Gooden.
Madam Clerk (05:56:48):
Mr. Gooden.
Speaker X (05:56:50):
You're a no.
Mr. Gooden (05:56:51):
Aye.
Speaker X (05:56:52):
You're a no. Lance, trust your [inaudible 05:56:55].
Mr. Gooden (05:56:54):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (05:56:54):
Mr. Gooden votes yes.
Mr. Goldman (05:56:55):
Mr. Chairman, how am I recorded?
Jim Jordan (05:56:57):
Gentleman from New York.
Madam Clerk (05:56:58):
Mr. Goldman, you're not recorded.
Mr. Goldman (05:57:00):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:57:01):
Mr. Goldman votes no.
Jim Jordan (05:57:02):
Gentlelady from Washington.
Madam Clerk (05:57:09):
Ms. Jayapal votes no.
Jim Jordan (05:57:11):
Gentleman from California. Gentlelady from California.
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (05:57:15):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:57:16):
Mr. Lieu Votes, no Ms. Kamlager-Dove votes no.
Jim Jordan (05:57:20):
Gentleman from Kentucky.
Mr. Massie (05:57:23):
No.
Madam Clerk (05:57:23):
Mr. Massie votes no.
Jim Jordan (05:57:26):
Director, I want to thank you again for being here. While we're waiting for members to get back to record their vote, you don't need to stay around for these kind of motions. We appreciate the service you're providing the country, appreciate your testimony today, and appreciate the fact that you did it five hours straight. That's amazing. So God bless you and keep up the good work. The witness is dismissed.
Ms. Scanlon (05:57:47):
We still have motions [inaudible 05:57:48].
Jim Jordan (05:57:48):
I know but I'm dismissing the witness. I don't think … nothing involved.
Mr. Raskin (05:57:51):
I'll just put them on the record. Mr. Chairman …
Jim Jordan (05:57:55):
We're still waiting for members to come back to record their vote on the motion offered by the gentleman from-
Mr. Raskin (05:57:59):
Good. No I just … is a point of order. I just want it establish that the dismissal of the witness doesn't affect the viability of any of the motions.
Jim Jordan (05:58:06):
No, [inaudible 05:58:07]. The Committee's still going. How many members we need?
Speaker X (05:58:43):
Madam Clerk, point of order. What is the current vote?
(05:58:51)
Point of order.
Jim Jordan (05:58:51):
The vote is open. We will be waiting for members to get back to record their vote.
Speaker X (05:58:57):
Gentleman from Wisconsin.
Jim Jordan (05:58:57):
Gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized.
Mr. Fitzgerald (05:58:59):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:59:00):
Mr. Fitzgerald votes aye.
Jim Jordan (05:59:03):
Gentleman from California is recognized.
Mr. Kiley (05:59:04):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (05:59:08):
Mr. Kiley votes aye.
Mr. Raskin (05:59:14):
The gentleman from California, I think, Mr. Chairman, is he going to be recognized?
Madam Clerk (05:59:18):
Mr. Correa. Mr. Correa votes no.
Mr. Raskin (06:00:48):
Mr. Chairman, point of order.
Jim Jordan (06:00:48):
The gentleman may state his point.
Mr. Raskin (06:00:52):
A number of members have conflicting markups and committee hearings going on right now and I'm just wondering how long are we going to hold this open? My read on the vote is that right now it's 18 of 14.
Speaker X (06:01:05):
No it's not.
Mr. Raskin (06:01:05):
17?
Speaker X (06:01:05):
19.
(06:01:05)
It's 19.
Mr. Raskin (06:01:06):
19 to 16.
Jim Jordan (06:01:10):
We're going to give members an opportunity. As you point out, as the ranking member points out, members have numerous obligations, different committees going on, but we want to give everyone an opportunity to record their vote and that's why we're waiting.
Speaker 41 (06:01:22):
Mr. Chair point of order.
Jim Jordan (06:01:25):
Well state her point of order.
Speaker 41 (06:01:26):
Couldn't we just be debating instead of sitting here waiting?
Jim Jordan (06:01:32):
There's a motion on the table. There was a motion offered by the ranking member, a motion to table offered by a member, and that's what's on the table right now.
Madam Clerk (06:01:41):
Mr. Van Drew, you are not recorded.
Mr. Van Drew (06:01:42):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:01:43):
Mr. Van Drew votes yes.
Jim Jordan (06:01:58):
Gentlelady from Wyoming.
Madam Clerk (06:02:00):
Ms. Lee?
Ms. Lee (06:02:02):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:02:03):
Ms. Lee votes yes. Miss Hageman. Miss Hageman votes yes.
Jim Jordan (06:02:06):
Gentlelady from Florida and Wyoming.
Speaker X (06:02:11):
Is Mr. Knott recorded?
Madam Clerk (06:02:26):
Mr. Knott, you're recorded as yes.
Jim Jordan (06:02:30):
Gentleman from Wisconsin.
Speaker X (06:02:31):
Mr. Tiffany.
Madam Clerk (06:02:34):
Mr. Tiffany.
Mr. Tiffany (06:02:35):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:02:35):
Mr. Tiffany votes aye.
Jim Jordan (06:02:39):
Clerk will report.
Madam Clerk (06:02:40):
Mr. Chairman there are 20 ayes and 19 noes.
Speaker X (06:02:45):
The ayes have it. The motion is tabled.
Jim Jordan (06:02:47):
The ayes have it. The motion is tabled. The gentlelady is recognized from Pennsylvania.
Ms. Scanlon (06:02:50):
Thank you Mr.-
Jim Jordan (06:02:50):
For what purpose?
Ms. Scanlon (06:02:51):
I have a motion.
Jim Jordan (06:02:54):
Gentlelady may state the motion.
Ms. Scanlon (06:02:55):
Okay. Pursuant to Clause 2(k)6 of Rule XI, I move that the committee subpoena U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent to produce or otherwise make available to the committee all suspicious activity reports in the possession of the Treasury Department identifying the roughly $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions-
Speaker X (06:03:14):
Mr. Chair.
Jim Jordan (06:03:15):
Gentleman from California is recognized.
Speaker X (06:03:16):
I move to lay the motion on the table.
Jim Jordan (06:03:18):
The motion is not debatable.
Ms. Scanlon (06:03:20):
I didn't finish.
Mr. Raskin (06:03:21):
She hadn't completed the motion. Is it proper to cut it off before it's completed, Mr. Chairman?
Jim Jordan (06:03:26):
Finish your last sentence there. The gentlelady can finish.
Ms. Scanlon (06:03:29):
Okay, so we're asking them to identify the roughly 1.5 billion in suspicious transactions related to the sex trafficking crimes of Epstein, Maxwell and their co-conspirators. And as we know, Mr. Patel said that the Treasury might have that information.
Speaker X (06:03:43):
Mr. Chairman.
Jim Jordan (06:03:43):
The gentleman is recognized.
Speaker X (06:03:44):
I move to lay the motion on the table.
Jim Jordan (06:03:45):
Yep. The motion is not debatable. The question occurs on the motion to table. Those in favor say aye.
Group (06:03:49):
Aye.
Jim Jordan (06:03:50):
Those opposed, no.
Group (06:03:51):
No.
Ms. Scanlon (06:03:52):
I request a recorded vote.
Jim Jordan (06:03:53):
A recorded vote being requested. The clerk will call the roll.
Madam Clerk (06:03:56):
Mr. Jordan?
Jim Jordan (06:03:57):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:03:57):
Mr. Jordan votes yes. Mr. Issa?
Mr. Issa (06:03:58):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:03:59):
Mr. Issa votes yes. Mr. Biggs. Mr. Biggs votes aye. Mr. McClintock.
Mr. McClintock (06:04:05):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:06):
Mr. McClintock votes aye. Mr. Tiffany.
Mr. Tiffany (06:04:07):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:08):
Mr. Tiffany votes aye. Mr. Massie.
Mr. Massie (06:04:10):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:04:11):
Mr. Massie votes no. Mr. Roy.
Mr. Roy (06:04:13):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:14):
Mr. Roy votes aye. Mr. Fitzgerald.
Mr. Fitzgerald (06:04:16):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:17):
Mr. Fitzgerald votes aye. Mr. Cline.
Mr. Cline (06:04:20):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:20):
Mr. Cline votes aye. Mr. Gooden.
Mr. Gooden (06:04:22):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:23):
Mr. Gooden votes aye. Mr. Van Drew.
Mr. Van Drew (06:04:25):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:04:26):
Mr. Van Drew votes yes. Mr. Nehls.
Mr. Nehls (06:04:27):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:04:28):
Mr. Nels votes yes. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore votes yes. Mr. Kiley.
Mr. Kiley (06:04:32):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:32):
Mr. Kiley votes aye. Ms. Hageman.
Ms. Hageman (06:04:34):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:35):
Ms. Hageman votes aye. Ms. Lee.
Ms. Lee (06:04:37):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:37):
Ms. Lee votes aye. Mr. Hunt. Mr. Fry.
Mr. Fry (06:04:41):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:42):
Mr. Frye votes aye. Mr. Grothman.
Mr. Grothman (06:04:43):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:43):
Mr. Grothman votes aye. Mr. Knott. Mr. Knott votes aye. Mr. Harris.
Mr. Harris (06:04:43):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:43):
Mr. Harris votes aye. Mr. Onder.
Mr. Onder (06:04:43):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:04:43):
Mr. Onder votes aye. Mr. Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt votes aye. Mr. Gill. Mr. Gill votes aye. Mr. Baumgartner.
Mr. Baumgartner (06:04:58):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:05:00):
Mr. Baumgartner votes aye. Mr. Raskin.
Mr. Raskin (06:05:02):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:03):
Mr. Raskin votes no. Mr. Nadler.
Mr. Nadler (06:05:05):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:06):
Mr. Nadler votes no. Ms. Lofgren.
Ms. Lofgren (06:05:08):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:08):
Ms. Lofgren votes no. Mr. Cohen Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson (06:05:13):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:14):
Mr. Johnson votes no. Mr. Swalwell.
Mr. Swalwell (06:05:16):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:16):
Mr. Swalwell votes no. Mr. Lieu. Ms. Jayapal. Mr. Correa. Ms. Scanlon.
Ms. Scanlon (06:05:27):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:27):
Ms. Scanlon votes no. Mr. Neguse. Ms. McBath. Ms. Ross.
Ms. Ross (06:05:34):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:35):
Ms. Ross votes no. Ms. Balint.
Ms. Balint (06:05:37):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:37):
Ms. Balint votes no. Mr. Garcia.
Mr. Garcia (06:05:39):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:41):
Mr. Garcia votes no. Ms. Kamlager-Dove. Mr. Moskowitz. Mr. Goldman.
Mr. Goldman (06:05:49):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:50):
Mr. Goldman votes no. Ms. Crockett.
Ms. Crockett (06:05:53):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:05:53):
Ms. Crockett votes no. Ms. Jayapal votes no.
Jim Jordan (06:05:57):
Gentlelady from California.
Madam Clerk (06:06:02):
Ms. Kamlager-Dove is not recorded. Ms. Kamlager-Dove votes no.
Jim Jordan (06:06:06):
Gentleman from California.
Madam Clerk (06:06:08):
Mr. Lieu. You are not recorded.
Speaker 40 (06:06:10):
Mr. Lieu votes no. Mr. Moskowitz.
Mr. Moskowitz (06:06:14):
No.
Speaker 40 (06:06:14):
Mr. Moskowitz votes no.
Jim Jordan (06:06:22):
Clerk will report.
Madam Clerk (06:06:34):
Mr. Chairman there are 23 ayes and 16 noes.
Jim Jordan (06:06:36):
Motion to table carries.
Mr. Swalwell (06:06:39):
Mr. Chairman, I have a motion
Jim Jordan (06:06:40):
The gentleman can state his motion, is recognized to state his motion.
Mr. Swalwell (06:06:44):
Great. I hope that champion of free speech, Mr. McClintock, lets me read it. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to clause 2(k)6 of Rule XI, I move that the committee subpoena Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino to produce and testify what the director is unwilling to discuss and share with Congress the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, including witness interview records, including FBI Form 302, search warrant materials, records relating to the initiation of investigations, records relating to financial transactions and payments, evidence collected from wiretaps. The FBI director said today that they've already released these documents. Bongino has reportedly considered resigning from his position over the refusal to release the full Epstein files.
Speaker X (06:07:25):
[inaudible 06:07:26] I'm delighted to see my colleague can read and I move to lay his motion on the table.
Jim Jordan (06:07:31):
Motion is not debatable. The question occurs on the motion to table. Those in favor will say aye.
Group (06:07:36):
Aye.
Jim Jordan (06:07:36):
Those opposed, no.
Group (06:07:37):
No.
Jim Jordan (06:07:38):
Opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the motion is tabled.
Mr. Swalwell (06:07:41):
I also can call for a vote, Mr. Chairman, a recorded vote.
Jim Jordan (06:07:44):
Recorded vote being requested. The clerk will report … excuse me, call the roll.
Madam Clerk (06:07:47):
Mr. Jordan?
Jim Jordan (06:07:48):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:07:49):
Mr. Jordan votes yes. Mr. Issa.
Mr. Issa (06:07:52):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:07:53):
Mr. Issa votes yes. Mr. Biggs.
Mr. Biggs (06:07:55):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:07:56):
Mr. Biggs votes aye. Mr. McClintock.
Mr. McClintock (06:07:58):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:07:59):
Mr. McClintock votes aye. Mr. Tiffany. Mr. Massie.
Mr. Massie (06:08:03):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:08:04):
Mr. Massie votes no. Mr. Roy.
Mr. Roy (06:08:06):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:08:07):
Mr. Roy votes aye. Mr. Fitzgerald.
Mr. Fitzgerald (06:08:09):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:08:16):
Mr. Fitzgerald votes aye. Mr. Cline.
Mr. Cline (06:08:19):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:08:19):
Mr. Cline votes aye. Mr. Gooden.
Mr. Gooden (06:08:20):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:08:21):
Mr. Gooden votes aye. Mr. Van Drew.
Mr. Van Drew (06:08:23):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:08:24):
Mr. Van Drew votes yes. Mr. Nehls.
Mr. Nehls (06:08:26):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:08:27):
Mr. Nehls votes yes. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore votes yes. Mr. Kiley. Ms. Hageman.
Ms. Hageman (06:08:34):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:08:34):
Ms. Hageman votes yes. Ms. Lee.
Ms. Lee (06:08:36):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:08:37):
Ms. Lee votes aye. Mr. Hunt. Mr. Fry. Mr. Fry votes aye. Mr. Grothman. Mr. Grothman votes aye. Mr. Knott. Mr. Knott votes aye. Mr. Harris. Mr. Onder.
Mr. Onder (06:08:54):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:08:55):
Mr. Onder votes aye. Mr. Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt votes aye. Mr. Gill.
Mr. Gill (06:09:00):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:09:01):
Mr. Gill votes aye. Mr. Baumgartner.
Mr. Baumgartner (06:09:03):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:09:04):
Mr. Baumgartner votes aye. Mr. Raskin.
Mr. Raskin (06:09:06):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:07):
Mr. Raskin votes no. Mr. Nadler.
Mr. Nadler (06:09:10):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:10):
Mr. Nadler votes no. Ms. Lofgren.
Ms. Lofgren (06:09:11):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:12):
Ms. Lofgren votes no. Mr. Cohen. Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson (06:09:17):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:18):
Mr. Johnson votes no. Mr. Swalwell.
Mr. Swalwell (06:09:20):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:21):
Mr. Swalwell votes no. Mr. Lieu.
Mr. Lieu (06:09:23):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:24):
Mr. Lieu votes no. Ms. Jayapal.
Ms. Jayapal (06:09:25):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:27):
Ms. Jayapal votes no. Mr. Correa. Ms. Scanlon.
Ms. Scanlon (06:09:31):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:32):
Ms. Scanlon votes no. Mr. Neguse. Ms. MacBath. Ms. Ross.
Ms. Ross (06:09:41):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:41):
Ms. Ross votes no. Ms. Balint.
Ms. Balint (06:09:43):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:44):
Ms. Balint votes no. Mr. Garcia.
Mr. Garcia (06:09:46):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:47):
Mr. Garcia votes no. Ms. Kamlager-Dove.
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (06:09:48):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:51):
Ms. Kamlager-Dove votes no. Mr. Moskowitz.
Mr. Moskowitz (06:09:53):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:54):
Mr. Moskowitz votes no. Mr. Goldman.
Mr. Goldman (06:09:55):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:56):
Mr. Goldman votes no. Ms. Crockett
Ms. Crockett (06:09:58):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:09:58):
Ms. Crockett votes no.
Jim Jordan (06:10:02):
Gentlemen from Wisconsin.
Speaker X (06:10:06):
Mr. Tiffany.
Madam Clerk (06:10:06):
Mr. Tiffany votes aye.
Jim Jordan (06:10:20):
Clerk will report.
Madam Clerk (06:10:25):
Mr. Chairman, there are 21 ayes and 16 noes.
Jim Jordan (06:10:28):
Motion to table is successful. That concludes today's-
Ms. Crockett (06:10:35):
No, I've got one.
Jim Jordan (06:10:37):
The gentle lady from Texas is recognized.
Ms. Crockett (06:10:39):
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll tell y'all when I'm done reading Mr. chair Pursuant to clause 2(k)6 of Rule XI, I move that the committee subpoena the head of the Bureau of Prisons, William K. Marshall, to discuss and produce all records relating to the transfer of Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator and child sex trafficker, Ghislaine Maxwell, an apparent violation of BOP policies regarding sex offenders to include all BOP communications with DOJ, FBI, and the White House. BOP transferred Maxwell to a minimum security camp following her interview with President Trump's former attorney and now Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche. I am done reading now.
Jim Jordan (06:11:26):
The gentleman from California is recognized.
Speaker X (06:11:26):
I move to lay his motion on the table.
Jim Jordan (06:11:26):
Motion to table is not debatable. This question occurs on the motion to table. Those in favor will say aye.
Group (06:11:30):
Aye.
Jim Jordan (06:11:31):
Those opposed, no.
Group (06:11:32):
No.
Jim Jordan (06:11:33):
Opinion of the chair of the ayes have it.
Ms. Crockett (06:11:34):
I'd ask for a recorded vote.
Jim Jordan (06:11:36):
Recorded vote being requested. The clerk will call the roll.
Madam Clerk (06:11:38):
Mr. Jordan?
Jim Jordan (06:11:39):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:11:39):
Mr. Jordan votes yes. Mr. Issa.
Mr. Issa (06:11:41):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:11:42):
Mr. Issa votes yes. Mr. Biggs.
Mr. Biggs (06:11:43):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:11:44):
Mr. Biggs votes aye. Mr. McClintock.
Mr. McClintock (06:11:47):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:11:47):
Mr. McClintock votes aye. Mr. Tiffany.
Mr. Tiffany (06:11:48):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:11:49):
Mr. Tiffany votes aye. Mr. Massie.
Mr. Massie (06:11:51):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:11:52):
Mr. Massie votes no. Mr. Roy.
Mr. Roy (06:11:54):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:11:54):
Mr. Roy votes aye. Mr. Fitzgerald.
Mr. Fitzgerald (06:11:56):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:11:58):
Mr. Fitzgerald votes aye. Mr. Cline.
Mr. Cline (06:12:00):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:12:00):
Mr. Cline votes aye. Mr. Gooden.
Mr. Gooden (06:12:01):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:12:02):
Mr. Gooden votes aye. Mr. Van Drew.
Mr. Van Drew (06:12:04):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:12:05):
Mr. Van Drew votes yes. Mr. Nehls.
Mr. Nehls (06:12:07):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:12:07):
Mr. Nehls votes yes. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore votes yes. Mr. Kiley. Ms. Hageman.
Ms. Hageman (06:12:13):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (06:12:13):
Ms. Hageman votes yes. Ms. Lee.
Ms. Lee (06:12:15):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:12:16):
Ms. Lee votes aye. Mr. Hunt. Mr. Fry.
Mr. Fry (06:12:19):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:12:20):
Mr. Frye votes aye. Mr. Grothman. Mr. Grothman votes aye. Mr. Knott. Mr. Harris. Mr. Knott.
Mr. Knott (06:12:21):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Mr. Knott votes aye. Mr. Harris. Mr. Onder.
Mr. Onder (06:12:21):
Aye.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Mr. Onder votes aye. Mr. Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt votes aye. Mr. Gill. Mr. Gill votes aye. Mr. Baumgartner. Mr. Baumgartner votes aye. Mr. Raskin.
Mr. Raskin (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Mr. Raskin votes no, Mr. Nadler.
Mr. Nadler (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Mr. Nadler votes no. Ms. Lofgren.
Ms. Lofgren (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Ms. Lofgren votes no. Mr. Cohen. Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson votes no. Mr. Swalwell. Mr. Swalwell votes no. Mr. Lieu.
Mr. Lieu (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Mr. Lieu votes no. Ms. Jayapal. Ms. Jayapal votes no. Mr. Correa. Ms. Scanlon.
Ms. Scanlon (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Ms. Scanlon votes no. Mr. Neguse Ms. McBath. Ms. Ross.
Ms. Ross (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Ms. Ross votes no. Ms. Balint.
Ms. Balint (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Ms. Balint votes no. Mr. Garcia. Mr. Garcia votes no. Ms. Kamlager-Dove.
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:21):
Ms. Kamlager-Dove votes no. Mr. Moskowitz.
Mr. Moskowitz (06:12:21):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:12:23):
Mr. Moskowitz votes no. Mr. Goldman.
Mr. Goldman (06:13:28):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:13:28):
Mr. Goldman votes no. Ms. Crockett.
Ms. Crockett (06:13:33):
No.
Madam Clerk (06:13:33):
Ms. Crockett votes no.
Jim Jordan (06:13:34):
The clerk will report.
Madam Clerk (06:14:00):
Mr. Chairman, there are 21 ayes and six noes.
Jim Jordan (06:14:03):
The motion to table is agreed to.
Speaker X (06:14:06):
Mr. Chairman.
Jim Jordan (06:14:07):
Gentleman from [inaudible 06:14:08].
Speaker X (06:14:07):
Mr. Chairman, a point of inquiry.
Jim Jordan (06:14:09):
Gentleman can say his point.
Speaker X (06:14:11):
Am I correct that the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman Comer, is issuing a significant number of subpoenas along the lines of some of the things we were been talking about today, but in general terms, pursuing a lot of the questions that are being raised here today and others?
(06:14:26)
Nope. Nope.
Jim Jordan (06:14:28):
That is accurate. And specifically the SARs, they're actually getting the SARs from the Treasury Department, which is something that we think is important, but yeah, that material is going to the Oversight committee.
Mr. Goldman (06:14:36):
Mr. Chairman, may I ask a follow-up question over here?
Jim Jordan (06:14:40):
The gentleman from New York is recognized.
Mr. Goldman (06:14:42):
Is it your understanding that the Oversight committee has requested the documents listed in Mr. Swalwell's subpoena, the recordings, the witness statements, the photographs, the materials seized by search warrant?
Jim Jordan (06:14:56):
I'd have to look at those carefully, but I know that is a broad subpoena and inclusion-
Mr. Goldman (06:15:02):
It's a very broad subpoena.
Jim Jordan (06:15:03):
… of all kinds of files.
Mr. Goldman (06:15:04):
Oddly enough, it excludes all those essential documents that are in the possession of the FBI.
Jim Jordan (06:15:10):
I think that'd be included in the case files that have been subpoenaed. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
Andy Biggs (06:15:15):
I have a UCs, several UCs.
Jim Jordan (06:15:18):
The gentleman can state his unanimous consent request.
Andy Biggs (06:15:20):
Yeah, first one is Democrat running for attorney general issues profanity-laced Charlie Kirk Post.
Jim Jordan (06:15:26):
Without objection.
Andy Biggs (06:15:28):
Next one. Cleveland Fire chief removed from duty over incendiary Charlie Kirk Social Media Post.
Jim Jordan (06:15:32):
Without objection.
Andy Biggs (06:15:34):
Next one. Generic combinations of political violence won't stop the left from escalating it.
Jim Jordan (06:15:39):
Without objection.
Andy Biggs (06:15:40):
Next one is, a few weeks before Charlie Kirk was assassinated, CNN runs widely viewed interview with Destiny describing Charlie Kirk has spawn of Satan.
Jim Jordan (06:15:51):
Without objection.
Andy Biggs (06:15:55):
And let's see here. I think the next one is … gosh, I'm having trouble finding it, sir. Dang it. I will submit it for the record later. The rest of these, I have another 30, so I'll just submit the those [inaudible 06:16:15].
Speaker X (06:16:15):
Speaker. [inaudible 06:16:16] Chairman.
Jim Jordan (06:16:16):
The gentleman from New York is recognized for what purpose?
Speaker X (06:16:20):
Point of information with respect to everything that Mr. Biggs just read. So what? It's all free speech.
Jim Jordan (06:16:27):
First Amendment is live and well in this great country and thank the good Lord for that. The gentleman from Florida. For what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition?
Speaker X (06:16:36):
Point of inquiry. The question that Mr. Roy was raising about how that is being done in the oversight committee? I'm just curious, was Mr. Roy asking because he believes that should be done in the Judiciary Committee instead, or he was just confirming that it's being done, in general?
Jim Jordan (06:16:48):
I don't know the motives behind Mr. Roy's statement. I just know what Mr. Roy said.
Speaker X (06:16:52):
I think Mr. Roy's here.
Jim Jordan (06:16:54):
Yeah, that concludes … well, you can talk to him. You can go talk to him. You can walk right across the thing. That concludes today's hearing.
Mr. Raskin (06:17:01):
Final UC
Jim Jordan (06:17:02):
Man. This is a record day for UCs. Go ahead. The gentleman from Maryland's recognized for the final UC.
Mr. Raskin (06:17:07):
Thank you. This is it. Timeline suggests Trump team changed its tune on Epstein files after Trump was told he was in them, CNN politics.
Jim Jordan (06:17:16):
Without objection. Without objection, all members will have five legislative days to submit additional written questions for the witness or additional materials for the record. Without objection, the hearing is adjourned.