39 | Friday, September 19, 2025Democrats press FBI director on Epstein files and other takeaways from his testimony to Congress Print | Front Page | Email this story To:From:Message:From (email):Message:WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel defended the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files Wednesday as he returned to Capitol Hill for a second day to face intense questioning from Democrats over his promises of transparency surrounding the wealthy financier's criminal case. "How did you go from being a crusader for accountability and transparency for the Epstein files to being a part of the conspiracy and cover up?" Use the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F."The FBI director repeatedly defended his handling of the files and insisted the FBI had released everything that it was "legally allowed" to. He pointed to judges' rulings denying Justice Department requests to unseal grand jury transcripts in the case. 'Russia, Russia, Russia' became a notable momentRepublicans focused attention on one of Trump's chief grievances, the long-concluded federal investigation into ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.