Newly released FOIA documents show FBI Director Kash Patel pressing his communications staff to aggressively counter online criticism over the Department of Justice's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, even when the offending posts came from a known troll account. The exchange, from February 2026, matters because it offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how closely Patel has monitored the bureau's public image during a period of sustained scrutiny over the Epstein case, and it comes as advocacy groups accuse the DOJ of withholding relevant records from public release.

According to the documents, Patel ordered staff to respond "continuously" to a post from an account called "R*tardFinder", despite senior aide Ben Williamson telling him it was an "Epstein didn't kill himself" bot and advising against engaging, warning it "would look bad" on Patel. Patel had cited "277k responses" to justify a rebuttal, but Williamson clarified this figure reflected views rather than replies, with actual responses numbering around 400. Separately, the Democracy Defenders Fund said the new records expose gaps in the DOJ's official Epstein file releases, noting only 3.5 million of a reported 6 million reviewed pages have been made public, and has passed the material to the department's Inspector General, which is already auditing compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.