Washington (AP) – FBI Director Kash Patel Clashing with skeptical Democrats on Tuesday during controversial Senate surveillance, defending his record amid criticism that he politicized federal law enforcement in the country and pursued retaliation against the president’s perceived enemy. Donald Trump.
Previous Tuesday appearance Senate Judiciary Committee On behalf of Patel’s first oversight hearing during his young but turbulent tenure, he provided a high-stakes platform to try to demonstrate that he is the right person for the job at the point where he raises internal upheavals and concerns and raises concerns Political violence In the US, the threat threatened by the murder of a conservative activist last week has been exposed. Charlie Kirk On a university campus in Utah.
The hearing broke down along partisan lines. Republicans have garnered support for Patel, even as they said Democrats revealed the integrity of the country’s finest federal law enforcement agencies. Patel is on his side trying to score political points with a series of cries that have Democrats accused of grand standing for cameras and cut off more sedative testimony about the criminal and national security threats facing the US
“You are the biggest scam that sat in the United States Senate, you are dishonorable to this institution, you are a complete coronavirus,” Patel told California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, who spoke up especially during the testimony exchange. “You can make an Internet troll for the FBI Director, but he will always be an Internet troll,” Schiff shot back as Patel kept screaming at him.
Patel focused on what he said, fighting violent crime, protecting children from abuse and disrupting the flow of fentanyl. He similarly promoted the FBI job within 33 hours of suspected Kirk’s assassination, but was also faced with questions about the chaos that occurred shortly after the murder when he posted on social media that “the subject” was in custody.
The person was later released after investigators determined he was unconnected. Patel said he was trying to be transparent with the public and didn’t consider the post a mistake, but admitted that he could have been more clear.
“Have I paid more attention to my language and included the subject “‘” instead of the subject? Certainly,” Patel said.
Democrats repeatedly tried to revert their hearing back to the confusion within the FBI, including purges of experienced agents and supervisors. Confirmation hearing In January, he pledges not to appear “backwards” or seek retaliation as a manager.
“I’m not going to write words: you lied to us,” the senator said. Richard Blumenthala Connecticut Democrat.
Patel angered at the proposal and was unable to discuss the details of their dismissal due to the lawsuit, but “as I said before, anyone who ended from the FBI could not meet the standards and endorse their loyalty and pledge to the Constitution.”
Five agents and top executives Immediately fired Last month, in a wave of outcasts who have said current and former officials have contributed to the decline in morale.
One of them, Steve Jensen, Riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Another Brian Drisco served as a proxy manager in the early days of the Trump administration. Resisted the Department of Justice’s request To provide the names of agents surveyed on January 6th. Survey on the retention of Trump’s classification documents at his Mar-A-Lago Estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
The lawsuit filed last week by the shooting agents allegedly that Patel understood that fired the job was “highly illegal,” but had to do so because the White House ordered them to do so. On Tuesday, Patel refused an order from the White House to fire him.
“You’ve been a leader and I believe that your mistakes have serious implications for the safety and security of Americans and our families,” said Democrat Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey. “We are more vulnerable to domestic and foreign attacks due to our failures in leadership.”
The accusations spurred an angry response from Patel, which Patel called it “a false information rant,” rattling off what the FBI said was a series of successes under his watch as it focuses on illegal immigration, street crime, drugs and human trafficking.
“If the FBI fails this administration and this country under my seven-month leadership, why have 23,000 violent felons been arrested only this year?” asked Patel. “Why did you seize 6,000 weapons? Why did you find and arrest 1,500 child predators?”
Patel made a tense exchange with Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat. Dan Bongino that Washington pipe bomb placement There was internal work before Capitol Riot.
“I don’t think it would be a shame to abandon the 31 years of combination experience, where everyone is at the helm of the FBI right now, and provide historical results at the historic speed of the American people,” Patel said.
Republicans have come enthusiastically to Patel’s defense, along with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who praises the committee chairperson of Iowa for “starting the important task of bringing the FBI back to its law enforcement mission.”
“It’s well understood that your predecessor left you with a politically infected FBI,” Grassley said.
The hearing unfolded against the backdrop of Kirk’s murder and on the same day as the suspected shooter of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. He was charged with aggravated murder in Utah. Patel said the FBI continues to investigate the suspects, but authorities attributed it to “. Left ideology, “Investigators will “run all leads related to wider allegations of violence.”
The FBI director was also challenged whether he was pursuing retaliation against his perceived enemy, including a fresh investigation conducted by the bureau in connection with the long-conclusive FBI investigation into the potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential election.
Senator Sheldon White House Patel estimated that Rhode Island Democrats had already been acting in some form of disadvantage against 20 of the 60 or so people selected in what Patel described as the 2023 “list of enemies,” called “Government Gangsters: Deep State, Truth, Our Battle for Democracy.”
For example, the Department of Justice appeared to confirm that it was investigating the former FBI director in an unusual statement in July. James Comey Former CIA director John Brennan, both extremely important players Russian Saga.
“That’s a completely inaccurate premise,” Patel said. “There’s no list of enemies.”
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Associated Press authors Lindsay Whitehurst, Alana Durkin Richer, Stephen Groves and Mary Claire Jaronick contributed to the report.
