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Fact Check: Did Kash Patel admit to deleting 2.7TB of Epstein files?

The story spread after a video claiming that Kash Patel was confronted by Rep Frank Mrvan during a House Oversight Committee hearing in December 2025

BY RIYA SIDDHACHARJEE

PUBLISHED JAN 2, 2026

A viral online claim had accused FBI Director Kash Patel of deleting 2.7 terabytes of evidence linked to Jeffrey Epstein (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: A claim states that FBI Director Kash Patel admitted to deleting 2.7 terabytes of evidence connected to financier Jeffrey Epstein. This claim gained attention after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released some of its files related to Epstein.

To determine the accuracy of this claim, it is important to examine whether there is any truth to the allegation or if it is a baseless rumor aimed at misleading the readers.

FBI director gives update on the ongoing investigation into the Minnesota fraud scheme (Getty Images) — FBI director gave update on the ongoing investigation into the Minnesota fraud scheme (Getty Images)

How did the claim about Kash Patel and Epstein files spread?

The claim that Kash Patel admitted to deleting 2.7 terabytes of Jeffrey Epstein files appears to have begun with a YouTube video called "Mrvan Asked 'Where Did the Data Go?' 62 Seconds Later, Patel's '100% Certain' Lie Was Exposed." The video was posted by 'The Political Brief'.

The YouTube description, "December 19, 2025 House Oversight Committee - Representative Frank Mrvan asked FBI Director Kash Patel a simple question: “Where did the 2.7 terabytes of data that went missing from the FBI on October 14 go?"

"Patel gave evasive answers. Mrvan pressed further: “Is there a backup of that data?” Patel answered confidently: “I am 100% certain that secure backups exist.” 62 seconds later, Mrvan dropped the bombshell: FBI Chief Information Security Officer Sarah Chen's morning report - “The data is DEFINITELY gone, permanently deleted, unrecoverable," the YouTube channel added.

"What were those 2.7 terabytes? Video statements from 147 Epstein victims, phone records of 340 suspects, emails from powerful figures. Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Trump, Ehud Barak—all deleted. Patel didn't just delete the data, he ordered his team to “keep quiet,” then lied to Congress. Evidence destruction, perjury, obstruction of justice." the description ends with this.

The channel claimed that this confrontation happened during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform meeting on December 19. Another YouTube channel, 'The Patel Protocol,' with a similar description, suggested that Patel and Mrvan had a separate confrontation about emails to FBI officers on March 18, 2025, during a House Judiciary Committee session.

Fact Check: No evidence that Kash Patel deleted Epstein files

There is no truth to the claim. There is no record of such a meeting on the committee’s calendar, and Rep Frank Mrvan does not sit on that committee. The video actually used footage from May 2025 from a different committee, where Mrvan questioned Patel about an unrelated topic, not the Epstein files. It used AI narration and showed Rep. Frank Mrvan allegedly confronting Patel about the data.

Regarding the other video, 'The Patel Protocol,' it is clear that Mrvan is not a member of that committee, and no hearing took place on the day claimed.

"All stories presented are entirely fictional and created for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, events, or situations is purely coincidental and unintentional," the channel 'The Political Brief' said in its description.

A protest group called 'Hot Mess' hold up signs of Jeffrey Epstein in front of the Federal courthouse on July 8, 2019, in New York City (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

Plus, major news outlets, including BBC News, Fox News, Mediaite, The New York Post, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, have reported updates about Epstein files deleted by Patel. Even social media and Google Trends show no evidence of such a story trending.