The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to advance Kash Patel's nomination for FBI director to the Senate floor after a fiery confirmation hearing last month. The vote is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET. If Patel passes through committee, his nomination will be up for a full Senate vote.
Democrats had successfully delayed Patel's committee vote last week in an effort to force the Trump nominee to testify a second time. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., said attempts by Judiciary ranking member Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others to force Patel to testify again were 'baseless' as he already sat before the committee for more than five hours and disclosed 'thousands of pages' of records to the panel, as well as nearly 150 pages of responses to lawmakers' written questions.
This week on the Senate floor, Durbin alleged that Patel was behind mass firings at the FBI. Durbin said he'd seen 'highly credible' whistleblower reports indicating Patel had been 'personally directing the ongoing purge of FBI employees prior to his Senate confirmation for the role.'
An aide to Patel denied Durbin's claim, stating that the nominee flew home to Las Vegas after his confirmation hearing and has 'been sitting there waiting for the process to play out.'
Patel, known for his opposition to investigations into President Donald Trump and his involvement in the 2020 election fraud claims, vowed during his confirmation hearing that he would not engage in political retribution. However, his selection suggests a desire to shake up the agency.
In his book 'Government Gangsters,' Patel criticized the FBI as 'a tool of surveillance and suppression of American citizens' and 'one of the most cunning and powerful arms of the Deep State.'
Patel assured that there would be no politicization at the FBI and no retributive action. He also expressed his views on surveillance of U.S. citizens suspected in national security matters, stating that requiring a warrant for real-time intelligence surveillance is not feasible.
During the hearing, Patel distanced himself from Trump's pardons granted to individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, particularly those engaged in violence against law enforcement.
Patel's background includes national security roles in Trump's administration and work as a senior aide on counterterrorism for former House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes. He emphasized refocusing the FBI on law enforcement and enhancing transparency if confirmed as FBI director.
In a recent op-ed, Patel outlined his priorities of allowing good cops to perform their duties and advocating for transparency within the FBI. He highlighted the importance of collaboration with local law enforcement and congressional oversight to rebuild trust in the agency.
