Chronological coverage updated 11th September 2026 18:49.
Update 1 · 11th September 2026
Released Records Reveal FBI Director Directing Social Media Pushback Over Epstein Files
Internal communications released under Freedom of Information Act disclosures show FBI Director Kash Patel ordering senior communications personnel to aggressively counter online criticism regarding the Department of Justice's handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The internal exchanges demonstrate Patel directing staff to post annual performance results directly against critical accounts, including automated troll accounts operating on social media platforms.
During one exchange, senior aide Ben Williamson advised against responding to a specific post from an online troll account, pointing out that an cited metric of 277,000 represented total views rather than individual user responses.
Ongoing scrutiny over document releases
The release of the internal records comes as legal oversight groups press the Department of Justice over its compliance with legislative transparency mandates.
3.5 million pages published out of 6 million pages reviewed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Dailymail reportedly quoted Virginia Canter (Chief Counsel and Ethics Director at Democracy Defenders Fund) as saying: “expose critical gaps in the DOJ’s official Epstein library release and raise serious questions about whether top officials coordinated to keep sensitive communications out of public view”.
The disclosures precede a scheduled appearance by Patel before the US Senate Judiciary Committee, where lawmakers are expected to question bureau leadership on transparency practices and internal communications strategies.
- FOIA records show Kash Patel instructing FBI staff to continuously post performance stats against social media critics.
- Advocacy groups report that 2.5 million reviewed pages of Epstein-related documents remain unreleased.
- The disclosures come ahead of congressional oversight testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
