FBI Director Kash Patel says he has no ‘enemies list’, denies firing agents over Trump probe

‘Most partisan FBI director ever’

One of the first Democrats to hit out at Patel was Dick Durbin, who called him “arguably the most partisan FBI director ever.

“Director Patel has installed mega loyalists as political appointees in key career positions, including conspiracy theorist Dan Bongino as FBI deputy director,” Durbin said, adding it was “the first time in the history of the FBI that this position has not been held by a career FBI agent.”

FBI Director Kash Patel appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his first oversight hearing. (Photo: AP)

Firing of FBI agents over Trump probe

When questioned by Senator Chris Coons, if he’s ever ordered that FBI employees be fired because they worked on investigations into Trump and the January 6, 2021, riot, Patel said “an individual is terminated at the FBI is if they have violated their oath of office, violated the law, or failed to uphold the standards that we need them to have at the FBI.”

Recently, three former FBI agents filed a lawsuit against the FBI and Patel, alleging that they were terminated because of their work on probes into Trump.

“Those matters are alleged in litigation, which is ongoing, so I can’t comment on those specifically,” Patel said.

‘No enemies list’

He also told Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse that he did not have an enemies list. In a 2023 book, Patel had identified 60 alleged “deep state” actors, and ever since he assumed office, there have been allegations that he had taken “adverse actions of various kinds against 20 out of 60 people in the list.

FBI Director Kash Patel appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Photo: AP)

“You’ve been in office for seven months. At that rate, you’ve got 14 months until you’ve hit all 60,” Whitehouse said.

Patel responded by saying: “That is an entirely inaccurate presupposition. I do not have an enemies list.”