Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 17, 2025. (Breanne Deppisch/Fox News Digital)
"It is a terrible tragedy, I think, for the men and women of the bureau to have such poor leadership that is replacing expertise with incompetence, that is replacing non-partisanship with the most rabid partisanship," Schiff told Fox News Digital. "And this is not unrelated to why we're here today."
His remarks come as Patel appeared on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a second day of testimony before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.
FBI AGENTS DETAIL J6 ROLE IN EXHAUSTIVE QUESTIONNAIRE EMPLOYEES 'WERE INSTRUCTED TO FILL OUT'
FBI agents walk through a crime scene. (Getty Images)
He also weighed in on Patel's remarks yesterday on the Epstein files — another issue that sparked intense criticism from lawmakers, after Patel claimed Tuesday that there was "no credible evidence" that Jeffrey Epstein was trafficking women other than himself.
Schiff said it was a "startling claim," particularly from someone who had previously promoted the belief that Epstein maintained a vast client list of powerful people.
"So it was completely contradictory to everything he said in the past," he said. He also noted Patel's "refusal" to answer his questions on why Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to press Ghislaine Maxwell further on the Cabinet members she identified as being "close" to Epstein or having a relationship with him during a two-day interview in July.
"Blanche refused to ask who they were, and just ignored her comment."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"And this is, again, the kind of incompetence we're seeing," he said, adding: "Incompetence is probably the most polite thing I can describe, but it certainly looks like a cover-up."
The Justice Department and FBI have struggled to quell the mounting public pressure on them to release more information related to the Epstein investigation — underscoring the story's sticking power in a fast-moving news cycle, and among Trump supporters, who have been some of the leading voices in demanding the information be released.
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schiff-patels-fbi-leadership-replaced-expertise-rabid-partisanship