WASHINGTON, July 8 -- A year after US authorities renewed efforts to increase transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, the case continues to generate more questions than answers, with congressional scrutiny now focused as much on the government's handling of the records as on the crimes themselves.

The latest flashpoint came during a Senate hearing in which Kash Patel faced repeated questioning over the bureau's handling of Epstein-related files. Patel defended the FBI's approach but declined to give direct yes-or-no answers to several questions about the release of records and the agency's internal decisions, prompting criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

The exchange underscored a broader debate. Instead of asking whether ad...