Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks as FBI Director Kash Patel appears before the House Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker on Wednesday alleged the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has the names of some of the late Jeffrey Epstein's clients, including a "billionaire from Canada."

Rep. Thomas Massie made the claim during a House Judiciary Committee hearing where he pushed FBI Director Kash Patel to release more documents related to the investigation into the notorious sex trafficker.

Massie said a sex trafficking indictment in the Southern District of New York produced a series of documents summarizing interviews with victims that named at least 20 men he alleges were Epstein clients.

"According to the victims who co-operated with the FBI in that investigation, these documents in FBI possession — your possession — detail at least 20 men," Massie said.

The Republican, who represents Kentucky, said the list includes a "Hollywood producer worth a few hundred million dollars," high-profile entertainers, a banker and "at least six billionaires, including a billionaire from Canada."

Massie said he doesn't know exactly who the men are but "the FBI does." He asked Patel whether there are any active investigations into the men and if the FBI director had seen the documents that included the names.

Patel testified he has not seen the documents Massie was citing and said the FBI is reviewing the Epstein files. He said there "have been no new materials brought to me launching a new indictment."

Patel repeatedly told the committee there was no Epstein client list and maintained there's no evidence Epstein trafficked underage girls to anyone but himself.

Massie's office said it did not have anything to add beyond what the Republican said during the hearing.

The FBI National Press Office said it had no comment and the FBI New York Office of Public Affairs referred The Canadian Press to "any public documents on this matter."

Thousands of pages of documents on Epstein have been released through civil lawsuits. The House Oversight Committee earlier this year released another batch, although much that material was already public.

While some high-profile names have been spotted on Epstein's private jet flight logs and other documents, law enforcement has not implicated those individuals in any crimes.

It appears no Canadian had been directly connected to the Epstein case before Massie made his allegation this week.

The controversy surrounding Epstein has dogged President Donald Trump, who has started labelling it a Democratic hoax. Trump was a close friend of Epstein but has repeatedly denied any knowledge of sex trafficking and has said he severed the friendship years ago.

The Trump administration has found itself under attack over its handling of the Epstein file from multiple quarters — including loyal supporters of Trump's own MAGA movement.

Many members of the Trump administration were vocal advocates for releasing Epstein documents before Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. Before he became the agency's director, Patel himself claimed the FBI had Epstein’s "black book" of client names.

The first major political blowback came after Attorney General Pam Bondi in February distributed binders of documents related to the Epstein file to right-wing social media influencers. It soon became clear that the information in the binders had all been released previously.

Then in July, the Trump administration decided not to publicly release any more investigative files from Epstein's case.

The controversy intensified after reports emerged of a sexually suggestive birthday letter given to Epstein and allegedly written and signed by Trump.

The letter was released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee earlier this month after being handed over by the Epstein estate. Trump has said his signature was forged.

While many Republicans have attempted to avoid Trump's ire by ducking the Epstein controversy, Massie has continued to be a vocal critic of the way the files have been handled. He has partnered with Democrat Ro Khanna to try to force a vote that would require the Justice Department to release the Epstein files.

Democrats also pushed Patel on the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein file during two days of fiery hearings at the Capitol this week.

"How did you go from being a crusader for accountability and transparency for the Epstein files to being a part of the conspiracy and coverup?" said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025