By Kate PlummerShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberFBI Director Kash Patel has responded to claims from Democrats that he has used the bureau's jet for "personal joyrides."
FBI directors are required to travel using the jet for safety considerations, though if they use it for personal reasons, they and their guests must pay the government the cost of a commercial airfare to make up for it.
In recent months, Patel has attracted scrutiny for using a government aircraft and security details to protect his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. The agency said Wilkins had faced hundreds of death threats.
This week, House Judiciary Democrats launched a probe into Patel's use of the jet, claiming he used it for "personal joyrides" including trips to meet his girlfriend and a golfing trip with his friends.
...Speaking to Fox News' Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle, Patel said: "It's simple, the FBI director, all FBI directors are required users of the FBI plane. They don't let me fly commercially."
Newsweek reached out to the FBI by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Patel's use of the jet calls into question his use of government resources and taxpayer money. He was previously critical of his predecessor Christopher Wray's use of the plane and said the Trump administration is more conservative in its use of private jets. If this is found to not be the case, he will face claims of hypocrisy.
If Patel loses the confidence of Americans it will also prove damaging for the FBI as an institution more broadly, and the wider Trump administration.
What To Know
Patel said he has used the plane less than his two predecessors and that he was "entitled to a personal life" which includes trips with his girlfriend. "I'm a steward of the taxpayer's dollars, my predecessors weren't," he added.
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But Mark Shanahan, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K. told Newsweek: "There is a sense overall of executive overreach, where members of the administration are using the tools of the administration for their own benefit and gain.
"Doubtless there are examples in the past where presidents and their appointees of all political hues have used official transport for non-official events and Patel's opponents are clearly jumping on any opportunity to show Trump's team up as more of an entitled royal court than officials working hard on the nation's behalf."
Patel also dismissed claims he refused to disembark from the plan after the assassination of 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September because he wanted to wear a different FBI jacket. "It's 100 percent false as you know," he said.
Meanwhile, Patel has faced other criticism. In September, three former FBI officials filed a federal lawsuit accusing Patel of orchestrating a purge of bureau leadership and overseeing a rampant politicization of the bureau. The plaintiffs, former FBI acting director Brian Driscoll, former assistant director Steven Jensen and former special agent Spencer Evans claimed they were fired because they had worked on past investigations involving Trump or resisted pressure to retaliate against former colleagues.
In November, MS NOW reported on rumors that Trump was considering firing Patel, citing three anonymous sources. The network reported that Patel might be replaced by senior FBI official Andrew Bailey, who was made co-deputy director of the bureau in September, joining Dan Bongino.
MS NOW said it stood by its reporting but the White House said the story was "completely made up."
What People Are Saying
Patel told Ingraham: "This FBI is succeeding in ways prior leadership failed."
President Donald Trump denied reports that he was looking to replace Patel telling reporters last month: "No, he's doing a good job. Kash Patel? No, he's doing a great job, I think."
Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin and California Democrat Sydney Kamlager-Dove wrote to Patel in the probe: "You used a $60 million government jet for an overnight date with your girlfriend, a Scottish golfing excursion with your buddies, and a trip to a luxury hunting retreat called 'Boondoggle Ranch'. Why should American taxpayers be footing the bill for private jets every time you decide to hang out with your golf buddies, see your girlfriend, or go to your 'boondoggle' escape?”
What Happens Next
Democrats are seeking Patel's travel records by December 15 but he is not obligated to hand them over. Shanahan added: "There's no chance that Patel will hand over his flight logs unless he's absolutely forced to."
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