FBI Director Kash Patel came armed with a stack of color-coded cheat sheets for his Senate grilling. But when the cue cards failed to rescue him from relentless questions, Patel repeatedly begged the Republican chairman to end the hearing early.
Patel’s desperate appeals came during a chaotic, nearly five-hour Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing Tuesday. Democrats grilled him about his leadership, alleged drinking habits and possible misuse of FBI resources involving his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins.
Photographers captured Patel clutching prepared attack lines targeting Democratic senators. One page, boldly labeled “DURBIN INFO,” contained claims about ranking member Dick Durbin’s wealth and his wife’s lobbying work.
The bullet points claimed Durbin’s wealth had increased 364% since 1997. Another line accused Durbin’s wife of lobbying conflicts and linked her clients to more than $1 million in federal earmarks.
Several more pages sat behind the Durbin sheet, although cameras did not capture their contents. The New York Post reported that Patel never appeared to use his prepared Durbin attacks during their exchange.
Patel found opportunities to unload similar lines elsewhere.
When Sen. Peter Welch pressed him on whether FBI agents would deploy to polling locations during the November midterms, Patel rattled off a rapid list of the bureau’s purported accomplishments.
“This FBI is not going to shy away from that effort,” Patel said as he talked over Welch. “And if you want to continue lying about the men and women of the FBI so you can have your four-second campaign ad, go ahead.”
Patel then cited reductions in murder, disrupted terrorist attacks, recovered children and captured fugitives before reaching for a more personal attack.
“Are you done with your campaign ad?” Patel asked. “By the way, I want to know how your wealth increased 4,000% since you became a United States senator.”
But Patel’s stockpile of talking points did little to help when Sen. Adam Schiff began questioning him about reports involving Wilkins, who sat stone-faced several feet behind him.
Schiff revisited a New York Times report that alleged Patel assigned an FBI SWAT team to protect Wilkins. The newspaper later reported that the FBI began investigating reporter Elizabeth Williamson after the story appeared. Justice Department officials ultimately declined to pursue the matter.
“I’m trying to get an answer from you, a very simple answer, about the reporter who wrote an article about the potential misuse of an FBI SWAT team,” Schiff began.
“It didn’t happen. Total lie,” Patel shot back.
“So, let me repeat it because you didn’t answer the question,” Schiff continued.
“It’s a total lie!” Patel shouted. “I’m not going to answer it.”
Schiff warned that Patel’s interruptions would force the committee to extend his questioning time. That was apparently the last thing Patel wanted.
“You don’t have to extend anything,” Patel blurted out.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley attempted to calm both men and instructed Schiff to ask his question before allowing Patel to answer. Patel interrupted the chairman, too.
“Mr. Chairman, I have maintained my decorum through this entire hearing,” Patel said. “His colleagues have called me a thug, a liar, baselessly attacked my loved ones, continuing to jeopardize the safety of me and mine, all the while to advance their political narrative.”
Patel then made his plea.
“I would appreciate it if you concluded this hearing,” he told Grassley, “because this guy has no interest in oversight.”
Grassley rejected the request and allowed Schiff to continue.
“OK. His time’s up,” Patel declared.
But Schiff’s time was not up.
The California Democrat accused Patel of filibustering for two minutes before raising an April report from The Atlantic. The story cited allegations that Patel’s drinking and absences interfered with his work and potentially threatened national security.
Patel rejected those claims and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and one of its reporters. He previously testified that he had “never been intoxicated on the job.”
“Another total lie, which is why I’m suing … for $50 million,” Patel said before turning anxiously toward Grassley again. “He’s out of time. Are we done?”
Grassley once more instructed Patel to let Schiff continue.
Schiff then asked whether the FBI used any resources to investigate The Atlantic reporter after the article appeared.
“No,” Patel responded.
The exchange marked one of several confrontations that transformed what should have been the FBI director’s annual oversight hearing into a shouting match.
Sen. Cory Booker accused Patel of behaving like a teenager desperate to join a fraternity.
“We have a lackey. And frankly, he’s not even a good lackey,” the New Jersey Democrat said.
“He’s like an 18-year-old kid who wants to join a fraternity that he could never be a member of, doing keg stands and chugging with friends,” Booker continued. “He’s an embarrassment to the agency — and wouldn’t qualify even to be an FBI agent.”
Patel accused Booker, Schiff and other Democrats of attacking him and his loved ones for political gain instead of conducting legitimate oversight.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal also questioned Patel about a ProPublica investigation that reported a Ukrainian-sanctioned Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin helped finance and attended Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration in the Bahamas.
“I would like to know what steps you are taking to investigate,” Blumenthal said.
Patel claimed he knew nothing about the report, which had become a major national story one day before the hearing.
“I’m not sure what public reporting you are referring to,” Patel said. “The only thing I can tell you is that the counterespionage arrests by this FBI are up 53 percent, including from Russia.”
Patel spent the hearing defending his record and repeatedly reciting FBI statistics. Grassley’s prepared opening statement credited Patel’s leadership with increases in criminal arrests and the recovery of more than 11,000 children.
Patel ultimately proclaimed himself the “hardest-working FBI director” as the hearing wound down.
But after arriving with pages of prepared attacks, repeatedly dodging questions and twice asking Grassley to rescue him from Schiff, Patel’s performance created far more questions than his cheat sheets could answer.
