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Kash Patel, the Trump loyalist tapped to lead the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, reportedly broke national security protocol in 2020 by publicly speaking about a hostage rescue in Yemen without authorization – the latest concern among Democrats already questioning his judgement during high-stakes moments.
Patel, who served as a senior advisor to the acting director of national intelligence Ric Grennell, allegedly “inserted himself inappropriately” in the hostage recovery mission that took place in October 2020 and disclosed information about it to the Wall Street Journal “several hours” before the hostages were confirmed in U.S. custody.
That’s according to an unnamed whistleblower who disclosed the “highly credible information” to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, CBS News reports.
Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the committee, relayed the information to Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Acting Treasury Secretary David Lebryk in a letter on Tuesday.
Expressing concern, Durbin asked for information related to the hostage recovery mission including all communications between Patel and the team that assisted in the rescue of Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada as well as the recovery of Bilal Fateen’s remains from Iranian-backed militants in Yemen.
The whistleblower claims the Wall Street Journal published Patel’s comments hours before the hostages were confirmed to be in custody and families were notified – breaking protocol that is intended to ensure hostage exchange operations go smoothly.
“This is the second known instance of Mr. Patel breaking hostage recovery protocol to inappropriately insert himself in a sensitive or high-profile recovery mission,” Durbin said in the letter. “An official who puts missions and the lives of Americans in jeopardy for public notoriety and personal gain is unfit to lead the country’s primary federal law enforcement and investigation agency.”
Alex Gray, the former chief of staff for the National Security Council during Trump’s first term, told CBS News the allegations are “absurd” and touted that Patel “put the interests of the American people, and particularly the interest of Americans hostages and unlaw detainees and their families first.”
“[Patel] is a professional who devoted his career to keeping America safe, and to bringing our hostages home. These anonymous smears are the last gasp of the NeverTrump bitter-enders,” Gray wrote on X.
A transition official also pushed back on the report in a statement to Fox News.
“Mr. Patel was a public defender, decorated prosecutor, and accomplished national security official that kept Americans safe,” the official said.
“He has a track record of success in every branch of government, from the court room to congressional hearing room to the situation room. There is no veracity to this anonymous source’s complaints about protocol.”
Patel has also been accused of nearly mishandling a sensitive operation in Nigeria in 2020 by mistakenly assuring Defense Department officials that State Department officials received permission from the Nigerian government for the U.S. to use its airspace to rescue an American hostage.
However, Nigeria had not.
It was nearly too late, as U.S. Air Forces were bringing Navy SEALs to carry out the operation. At the last minute, the State Department received clearance and the mission went forward without issues.
Patel is one of Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks.
He has unwaveringly supported and followed Trump for years, going as far as to write a children’s book that shared doubts over the legitimacy of the Steele dossier and portrayed Trump as a “king”.
Like Trump, Patel has elevated conspiracy theories related to “the deep state” and claimed the government is weaponized against the president and his allies. Like Trump, Patel has promised to use power to go after enemies such as the media and even published a list of people he believes should be investigated such as former President Joe Biden and former attorney generals Merrick Garland and Bill Barr.
He has proliferated conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election and claimed former president Barack Obama runs a “shadow network” in charge of the intelligence community.
Senator Adam Schiff, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Patel is “the last person” who should serve as FBI director.
“In addition to being dishonest, untrustworthy, lacking in character… his only real qualification is he was the guy in the first Trump administration that you went to when no one else would do the dirty work the president wanted done,” Schiff said.
Patel will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about his nomination on Thursday.
