The claim that FBI Director Kash Patel announced the discovery of 256 emails between U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and Jeffrey Epstein has spread rapidly on social media, particularly through X posts in February and March 2025. These posts, including one from @JDunlap1974 on February 7, 2025, quote Patel saying, “FBI investigation uncovers 256 emails between Adam Schiff and Jeffrey Epstein. This is a massive scandal, and Schiff must be held accountable.” The claim suggests a major conspiracy, but is it true? Let’s examine the evidence with a sharp, no-nonsense approach.
The claim is false. No credible evidence supports Patel making such a statement or the FBI uncovering these emails. The rumor traces back to a 2020 satirical article from America’s Last Line of Defense, a self-described parody site, which falsely claimed an FBI probe found 256 emails between Schiff and Epstein on Hillary Clinton’s private server. This fiction resurfaced in 2025, falsely attributed to Patel, with no official FBI announcement or mainstream media coverage to back it up. PolitiFact, Reuters, and Snopes debunked both the original 2020 claim and its 2025 revival, rating it “Pants on Fire” for its absurdity.
Patel, confirmed as FBI Director in 2025, has vowed to investigate Epstein’s accomplices, as noted in a January 30, 2025, Daily Beast article. However, no public statements from Patel or the FBI mention Schiff or any emails. The claim’s spread on X, amplified by accounts like @KashPatelNewsX and @X22Report, lacks primary sources and relies on screenshots from a deleted satire post by “Mel Gibson – Exposing the Elites Commentary.” Comments on X show some users believed it, with one saying, “This gonna be good!” but others, like a Reddit user in r/trump, noted the satirical origin.
Why the traction? Schiff’s vocal criticism of Patel, calling him a “sycophant” during his confirmation, as reported by Hindustan Times on February 22, 2025, fueled speculation about bad blood. Patel’s book Government Gangsters lists “enemies” of Trump, and X users speculated Schiff’s inclusion, though no evidence confirms this. The Epstein case, with recent document releases ordered by Attorney General Pam Bondi, keeps conspiracy theories alive, but unsealed files from January 2024 and February 2025 don’t mention Schiff.
The claim plays into distrust of elites, with Schiff’s high profile making him a target. Yet, without a shred of proof—no FBI report, no Patel quote, no emails—it’s pure fiction. Always check primary sources, especially with Epstein-related claims, as satire often masquerades as news. This one’s a bust.
