WASHINGTON, DC – During a highly contentious Senate confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Kashyap “Kash” Patel left no question that he intends to put political loyalty to the President above America’s national security interests – including weaponizing the agency against the President’s critics. While Patel joined the previous Trump administration in its last year and quickly rose through the ranks thanks to his hard-nosed style and gushing devotion to Donald Trump, other Trump officials reportedly regarded Patel as “dangerous” including General Mark Milley who feared he would break the law for Trump, and former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr who said “Over my dead body” when Trump entertained naming Patel deputy director of the FBI. Patel has threatened to prosecute journalists and political opponents of Trump, and would bring conflicts of interest as someone whoreportedly “earned hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from his own business dealings with Trump-related entities.”

“Kash Patel’s poor performance today showed why even former Trump officials have spoken out against Patel’s qualifications and ability to adhere to the rule of law. Patel’s threats to prosecute journalists and Trump’s political opponents are the behavior of an authoritarian political stooge, not a serious choice to keep all Americans safe from threats,” said Tony Carrk, Executive Director of Accountable.US. “Patel would put Trump’s political grievance before our national security interests, unless Senators do their jobs and reject his nomination. Mr. Patel will be just fine, no doubt keeping his massive grifting operation alive that has enriched himself and others through promotion of the Trump brand.”

KEY QUESTIONS PATEL FAILED TO ADDRESS IN TODAYS CONFIRMATION HEARING: 

Dishonesty About Qualifications And Past Experience  

  • Why did Patel exaggerate his importance in the government’s investigation into Benghazi? How can the American people trust his leadership when he lied about his limited qualifications?

  • Patel has touted his role in the investigation of the 2012 attack on a diplomatic compound and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. In his memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel wrote, “by the time the D.O.J. was moving in full force to compile evidence and bring prosecutions against the Benghazi terrorists, I was leading the prosecution’s efforts at Main Justice in Washington, D.C.” And on the Shawn Ryan Show, Patel said, “I was the Main Justice lead prosecutor for Benghazi for a while.”
  • Patel repeatedly made it sound as if he ed the government’s overall effort to investigate and prosecute militants involved in the attack, but in reality, he took a junior position at the Justice Department well after the Benghazi investigation started and left before the first case went to trial. Former Trump officials and FBI agents have questioned Patel’s qualifications for high-ranking positions in federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Disrespect for the Independence of the FBI

  • How can the American people be assured that Patel will maintain the FBI’s independence and refrain from settling political scores benefiting President Trump given his noted loyalty to him?
  • The FBI, as part of the Department of Justice, operates largely independently from the White House in order to remain impartial and free of political influence. President Trump, however, has threatened to pursue “retribution” against his perceived political enemies, and many fear he will seek to “bend the Justice Department to his will.”
  • Patel has demonstrated considerable loyalty to President Trump since serving in his first administration. Patel’s enemies list, which was annexed in his book Government Gangsters, is comprised of President Trump’s political opponents and individuals who opposed his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result. Patel is also on record saying he is “going to come after” journalists who he believes “helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections”—members of the media whom President Trump has also targeted.
  • Why would anyone believe Patel intends to keep his oath of office “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” not pursue a policy of revenge against President Trump’s enemies?

“Government Gangster” Hit List and Disrespect for the Constitution

  • Given that the FBI’s mission, first and foremost, is “to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution,” how is pursuing investigations against individuals on Patel’s enemies list in keeping with the FBI’s mission?
  • Annexed in Patel’s book Government Gangsters is a list of 60 people whom he deems the “Executive Branch Deep State.” They include President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as a number of former Trump administration officials who refused to join Patel and President Trump in denying the results of the 2020 election.
  • Some of the individuals on Patel’s enemies list have also questioned his personal qualifications. For example, former Attorney General Bill Barr wrote in his memoir that when you were allegedly being considered for deputy FBI director in 2020, he said that Patel’s appointment would happen “over my dead body.” Former CIA Director Gina Haspel likewise threatened to resignwhen Patel was under consideration to be her deputy. Patel has labeled both AG Barr and Director Haspel as part of the “Deep State.” In Government Gangsters, Patel refers to the supposed “Deep State” as “criminals” and is Patel is also on record stating he is on “a mission to annihilate the deep state.”

January 6th Profiteerism 

  • How much money has Patel made off his January 6th-related business ventures? Which insurrectionists received assistance from his businesses? Did any money go to Enrique Tarrio of the Proud Boys and Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers, both of whom recently endorsed Patel’s nomination? Did Patel take steps to ensure that none of that money flowed to violent offenders (for example, individuals who assaulted law enforcement)?
  • Since leaving the last Trump administration, Patel has embarked on a series of business ventures profiting off of the January 6th insurrection and “Deep State” conspiracy theories. In 2023, Patel published his book Government Gangsters and was credited as a producer on the song “Justice for All,” which featured incarcerated insurrectionists and President Trump. Patel is also the author of three children’s books promoting lies about the first Trump presidency and the 2020 election as well as the co-owner of Based Apparel, which markets Trump-themed merchandise for as much as $70.
  • As Patel built a business empire off of January 6th, Patel has also said on multiple occasions that the money he made from these ventures would support January 6th insurrectionists. For example, Patel stated that sales of “Justice for All” would raise “funds” for January 6th insurrectionists and “net proceeds” from a shirt he is currently selling on BasedApparel.com would go to so-called “January 6th victims.”
  • Despite these claims, there has been little to no publicly documented proof that the money Patel made ultimately flowed to these individuals, most of whom—including violent offenders—recently received a pardon from President Trump. Now that President Trump has pardoned most Jan. 6 insurrectionists, what will happen to the remaining funds Patel has collected from his January 6th-related business ventures?

Ties to Violent Insurrectionists and Extremists

  • It was recently reported that at least six of the January 6th insurrectionists who participated in Patel’s “J6 Prison Choir” assaulted law enforcement during the Insurrection. Their names are Julian Khater, Ryan Nichols, Jorden Mink, Ronald Sandlin, Barton Shively, and James McGrew. Mr. Khater, for example, pleaded guiltyto assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with pepper spray. Officer Sicknick died the next day after suffering a series of strokes.
  • In addition to involvement in the J6 Prison Choir, Patel’s foundation has offered financial assistance to the families of people charged in the January 6th attack.
  • Does Patel condemn the actions of the six members of the J6 Prison Choir who assaulted law enforcement. If you does, why did he allow them to participate in the choir?

Nonprofiteerism  

  • Given many allegations of unethical behavior swirling around Patel’s small nonprofit, do he expect the American people to believe that he can effectively and ethically manage an agency of approximately 38,000 people and an annual budget of more than $11 billion?
  • In 2022, Patel incorporated a nonprofit, the Kash Foundation, telling the Internal Revenue Service that the group would provide “financial support” to veterans and law enforcement and grants to “those who have the courage to stand up against government wrongdoing.”
  • Patel and the foundation’s other directors claim to not collect a salary. However, it was recently revealed that Patel’s group’s largest expense in 2023 was a payment of more than a quarter million dollars to a company owned by Patel’s foundation’s vice president. That same year, Patel reported giving out roughly $168,000 in direct cash assistance to some 50 anonymous individuals. Of the few individuals who have admitted to receiving money from Patel’s organization, some took specific actions that would seem to benefit Patel and President Trump. For example, two self-professed FBI whistleblowers admitted to receiving money from Patel around the same time that they testified to Congress that the Bureau had become “weaponized.” This intermingling of politics with Patel’s nonprofit work has raised questions about whether he is violating federal law and IRS rules.

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