Director Patel: On the 7th Floor, for the first time in FBI history, I have installed police officers and sheriffs, right on my 7th Floor, to report to us every day what's going around the country, on the street level, because that is a priority of the FBI, and is the only way we are going to work.

Director Patel: We're also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat [planning Charlie Kirk murder].

Hawley: I see the public reports that the Discord thread had as many as twenty additional users. Sounds like you're trying to run down all of that to see if that's accurate. who else may have been on that thread, what they may have known.

Director Patel: It's a lot more than that. We're running them all down.

Hawley: It's a lot more than twenty?

Director Patel: Yes, sir.

Kennedy: Who, if anyone, did Epstein traffic these young women to besides himself?

Director Patel: Himself. There is no credible information, none; if there were, I would bring the case yesterday, that he trafficked to other individuals. And the information we have, again, is limited.

Kennedy: So the answer is no one?

Director Patel: For the information that we have.

Kennedy: In the files?

Director Patel: In the case file.

Director Patel: The Epstein case file is not classified to my understanding, so we are providing what we legally can, and we are going to give congress what we are legally permitted to do so, to the maximum extent of the law.

Blumenthal: Will you enable the chairman and the ranking member to review them on a classified basis?

Director Patel: That doesn't make any sense. If the material in the Epstein file is not classified, there is no basis for a classified review.

Blumenthal: That would protect the confidentiality of them if they were able to review them on a classified basis.

Director Patel: If anyone in this room can get the multiple district court judges to lift their court protective orders and the sealings, we will happily provide you with more information.