Senate Judiciary Committee To Vote On FBI Director Nominee

Kash Patel choice to be director of the FBI

The head of the Senate Judiciary Committee criticized Democrats on the panel for trying to schedule a second confirmation hearing for President Trump's FBI director nominee, Kash Patel. The committee chair described the move as a 'delay tactic' aimed at stalling Patel's appointment to lead the law enforcement agency.

Senator Grassley emphasized that Patel had already testified for over five hours before the committee and provided 'thousands of pages' of records and detailed responses to lawmakers' questions. Grassley dismissed the Democrats' push for a second hearing as 'baseless' and unnecessary.

Despite calls from Democrats, Grassley affirmed the committee's intention to proceed with a confirmation vote on Patel as early as next week.

Democrats Raise Concerns Over Patel's Testimony and FBI Personnel

Committee chair accuses Democrats of using delay tactics to stall Patel's appointment.

Senate Judiciary Committee criticizes Democrats for attempting second confirmation hearing for Kash Patel.

Patel already testified for over five hours and provided extensive documentation to lawmakers.

Ranking Democrat Senator Durbin raised concerns about 'apparent falsehoods' in Patel's testimony and recent reassignments of FBI civil servants. Democrats urged Grassley to delay Patel's confirmation vote until he testified again under oath about these matters and until the Department of Justice provided additional relevant information.

The Democrats' request for a second hearing was swiftly dismissed by Grassley, who reiterated his support for Patel's nomination.

FBI Agents Seek Protection from Public Identification

Two separate lawsuits were filed by anonymous FBI agents seeking to prevent the public disclosure of agents involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots investigations. The agents expressed concerns about potential retaliation and the impact on FBI operations if their identities were revealed.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent’s Association, representing thousands of active and retired agents, warned of possible adverse actions or layoffs in response to the disclosure request.

While there are no immediate plans for punitive measures against the agents, concerns about threats, harassment, and internal targeting persist.

A retired FBI agent reassured that the bureau followed guidelines in the Jan. 6 investigations and emphasized that violations of federal statutes were proven in court.