Kash Patel is showing over and over he is not steady enough to be heading up the FBI (was he ever?). The Atlantic broke a story April 17 with plenty of receipts showing just how irresponsible he is.
The article starts by describing how he just last week incorrectly typed in his password, got locked out of his computer, then instead of talking to tech, he freaked out, telling people around him he'd been fired. Based on his outburst, people all around him assumed he really had been fired and the news spread. The White House soon began getting calls asking who his replacement was.
From there, the article describes the many reasons Patel thought he could have been fired - most having to do with his heavy drinking. White House sources say replacement options are already being discussed. The article was backed by MANY sources.
Here are some snippets from the article -
"They said that the problems with his conduct go well beyond what has been previously known, and include both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences.""They said that he is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication..." "Early in his tenure, meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights, six current and former officials and others familiar with Patel’s schedule told me.""On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request.""Several current and former officials told me that Patel is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations. On several occasions, an official told me, Patel’s delays resulted in normally unflappable agents “losing their shit.”
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| Patel chugging beer with the US Olympic Hockey team in late February |
Today, it was announced that Patel is suing The Atlantic for defamation - $250 million. The Atlantic has the receipts and is standing by the article. See ya in court.
We have way too many irresponsible, unqualified people in powerful positions in our government, We need to demand these people be fired. Call them out!
Meanwhile, Iran is dogging Patel with another viral video that tells the story better than I wrote it -
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The FBI Director Is MIA - The Atlantic. Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.
FBI director's leadership questioned after partying with the US men's hockey team - NPR. The optics of an FBI director swigging beer and partying have deepened concerns about Patel and whether he has the temperament to lead the nation's premier law enforcement agency. On top of that, his trip to Italy adds to questions about Patel's travel as FBI director on a taxpayer-funded jet. FBI directors are required to fly on U.S. government aircraft because of the secure communication systems, but critics question Patel's use of a government jet for what appears to be personal travel.
FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for article that alleged excessive drinking - APNews. FBI Director Kash Patel hit The Atlantic magazine with a $250 million defamation lawsuit on Monday, claiming an article that talked about mismanagement at the agency and his alleged excessive drinking was false and a “malicious hit piece.” The Atlantic said it stood by its reporting and would vigorously defend against the “meritless lawsuit.”
You Should Worry About Kash Patel Running the FBI - Politico. On paper, there is no way to justify Patel’s ascension. He spent a few years as a federal prosecutor focused on national security and was an aide in Congress and the first Trump administration on intelligence and national security issues. Even setting aside the decidedly mixed and often controversial results of that work (more on that below), Patel has no experience managing anything remotely like the FBI’s sprawling bureaucracy — 35,000 employees, 55 field offices throughout the country and more than 60 offices overseas. What he does have is years spent endorsing Trump’s conspiracy theories and railing against many of Trump’s perceived enemies in the “deep state” — often in deeply unserious appearances on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, on other conservative media outlets and on the campaign trail.
White House officials ‘openly discuss’ firing Kash Patel as FBI chief threatens to sue over report about ‘excessive drinking’- The Independent. “People close to the director have said that he himself has expressed that he believes that he is about to be fired or that is imminent,” Fitzpatrick also told CNN Friday. “This is widely, widely discussed, I think, within Washington, behind closed doors. In fact, there are senior administration officials who are openly discussing who will be the next FBI director.”
Also, this is interesting... The Four Things Nobody In Washington Will Tell You About The Kash Patel Story - Jack Hopkins. Note: This is not a reputed source, such as an established magazine or news agency. But it's a short interesting read. And yes, I will take his advice and watch the Sunday shows a bit more carefully in the next few weeks. Also, I agree with him that plans are probably already in place to oust Kash.
WHO TO CONTACT
The FBI is overseen by several congressional committees. In the Senate, the main one is the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee reviews the FBI's budget, programs, and selected investigations.
I am focusing on the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Here are the members. Pick out some senators you want to contact. Contact info for all Senators can be found HERE.
You can also contact the committee directly:
U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
211 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-1700
- or contact FBI Headquarters! -
FBI Headquarters
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
(202) 324-3000