Ex-FBI officials warn of unbounded power if Patel becomes chief
3 Min Read
Kash Patel’s background has sparked criticism from former FBI officials, who note his lack of experience within the bureau and question his understanding of its operations.
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US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be FBI Director, Kash Patel, arrives for a meeting with Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on December 11, 2024, in Washington, DC (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)
Former FBI officials have raised concerns over the potential implications of Donald Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as the next FBI director, The Guardian reported on Saturday.
Patel is likely to wield unprecedented power within the bureau, as he appears poised for confirmation next year with the backing of key Republicans and amid the current director’s anticipated resignation, the news website indicated.
The alarm has grown over Patel’s nomination, given his controversial actions and statements, including calls to shut down FBI headquarters and the creation of what critics have labeled an "enemies list".
Patel is expected to receive unanimous support from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, solidifying his path to confirmation, The Guardian suggested.
It cited former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi and other officials familiar with the bureau’s operations as saying that Patel’s leadership could eliminate traditional checks on the FBI director's authority, particularly under a second Trump administration.
The news website mentioned that Patel is anticipated to appoint his own chief of staff and a new FBI general counsel, enabling him to pursue actions aligned with a campaign of retribution.
Moreover, Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, has echoed Patel’s vision to make the FBI subordinate to the White House.
“I don’t think people truly realize how powerful an FBI director can be, unrestrained,” Figliuzzi remarked on the Highly Conflicted podcast, explaining that an FBI director could unilaterally open investigations, hold press conferences without notifying the Department of Justice, and publicly influence cases.
“And then going through files? I imagine on the first day in office, he’s going to say, ‘I need every file that has the word Trump in it,’” he added.
“That should be a real concern, that Kash Patel is going through informant files and saying, ‘Look at that, this guy coughed it up on Trump.’”
Trump selected Patel as his preferred choice for FBI director after growing disillusioned with the current director, Chris Wray, who declined to block the criminal investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Patel’s background has sparked criticism from former FBI officials, who note his lack of experience within the bureau and question his understanding of its operations.
His national security experience, they argue, has largely been shaped by his involvement in Trump-era politics, including his role as a House Intelligence Committee staffer and later as a member of the Trump administration.
Concerns have also been raised about Patel’s potential to politicize FBI operations, diverting attention from critical counterterrorism and criminal investigations.
Figliuzzi warned that Patel, in coordination with the Trump White House, could manipulate processes such as background checks, including reinvestigations of individuals previously vetted by the FBI.
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