During a recent Senate hearing, Sen. Cory Booker engaged in a tense exchange with Trump FBI director nominee Kash Patel regarding Patel's testimony about witnessing President Donald Trump declassifying documents after his first term in office.
The discussion centered around a case that alleged Trump had unlawfully retained sensitive government materials at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructed efforts to retrieve them upon leaving office. Booker pressed Patel on whether he had testified to witnessing the declassification of documents by the former president.
Patel responded that he had testified under oath and encouraged Congress to access the grand jury testimony. Booker continued to push for a direct answer, questioning Patel on what he might be hiding from Congress.
Patel reiterated that the grand jury testimony was available for review and suggested making it public. When asked if Congress should thoroughly review nominees, Patel responded affirmatively.
The case involving the classified records was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith was unlawful.
