FBI Director Kash Patel is facing criticism after a newly released report by the “National Alliance of Retired and Active Duty FBI Special Agents and Analysts" revealed Patel flew to Utah the day after far-right activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination and remained aboard the aircraft until officials provided him with a medium-sized FBI raid jacket.
Instead of immediately stepping into his role upon arriving at the site of the killing of someone he had publicly called a close friend, the FBI director reportedly fixated on wardrobe details—delaying his exit from the aircraft over the precise jacket and patches he believed he was entitled to, rather than proceeding with his duties.
Indeed, the report says that Patel "apparently did not have his own FBI raid jacket with him and refused to step from the plane without wearing one."
Patel ultimately took a jacket from a female agent, only to protest moments later that it lacked the correct insignia. Once again, he refused to disembark until members of a SWAT team handed over their patches. He was livid that “two areas on the upper sleeves did not have Velcro patches attached.”
The account, which has not yet been independently verified, was attributed to a source identified by the group as ALPHA99, described as “reliable, trustworthy, and competent.” The source shared the report with The New York Post.
The report contains other damning details.
In its assessment of the first six months under Patel’s leadership, the alliance concluded that he is “out of his depth,” while casting his deputy, Dan Bongino, as “something of a clown.”
The 115-page document paints a bleak picture of the current FBI, describing it as a “rudderless ship” that is now “completely f**ked up” under Patel’s command. Multiple internal sources portrayed Patel as unqualified for the role, with one bluntly stating that he “has neither the breadth of experience nor the bearing an FBI director needs to be successful.”
According to the report, Patel is faulted for making “premature public remarks” that may have compromised the investigation into Kirk’s killing, publicly claiming credit for the suspect’s arrest despite the work being led by other agencies, and berating the agent in charge with shouting and profanity.
Both Patel and Bongino are further accused of exhibiting “arrogance” and an “unfortunate obsession with social media.” Another source said they need to “stop talking, stop posing, and just be professional.” And still another said they are “spending too much time on social media and public relations” and “are too often concerned with building their own personal résumés.”
But that jacket detail has really set people off.
House Judiciary Democrats recently opened an investigation into Patel’s use of the bureau’s aircraft, alleging that he has effectively turned a government jet into a vehicle for personal travel. Lawmakers accuse Patel of treating the plane as his own, using it for what they characterize as “leisure trips” rather than strictly official business.
Questions about Patel’s travel intensified after reports that he flew to rendezvous with his girlfriend, attend sporting events, and take recreational trips. While FBI directors are required to use the bureau’s aircraft for security reasons, they are also obligated to reimburse the government based on the cost of a comparable commercial flight.
The scrutiny is amplified by Patel’s past criticism of the very same practice. As a vocal opponent of his predecessor Christopher Wray’s jet use, Patel once argued that Wray had no need for a “government-funded G-5 jet” for vacations, adding that the plane should perhaps be grounded altogether because “it costs $15,000 every time it takes off.”
@GregAbbott_TX/X
