Overview
- Snopes and Lead Stories reported that posts alleging Ted Lieu played a secret tape of FBI Director Kash Patel confessing to burying the Epstein probe are false or misrepresented.
- The rumor was traced to the Morning Current Facebook page and AI-generated blog posts designed to drive traffic to ad-heavy sites.
- A YouTube video from the channel Silent Docket carried a disclaimer labeling its content as fictionalized, and audio analysis found the voices were likely AI-generated.
- U.S. Congress’ official calendar shows no House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 10, 2026, contradicting claims about when the supposed recording was played.
- Verified records show that on Sept. 17, 2025, during a House Oversight hearing, Lieu played a publicly available Michael Wolff interview that did not include Patel or any admission to bury the Epstein investigation.