By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-09 20:31:55 | Updated at 2024-12-25 05:57:44
2 weeks ago
President-elect Donald Trump's selection to lead the FBI scored the early support from a crucial Senate Republican who will be tasked with confirming the controversial nominee.
Kash Patel's ascent through Trump world has been buoyed by his past experience working as a public defender and then as a Justice Department prosecutor.
He previously helped Trump navigate the claims he had inappropriate connections to Russia during the 2016 election while working as a counselor on the House Intelligence Committee.
For his efforts Patel, 44, later was promoted to high-ranking White House positions, first as the chief of staff to the secretary of defense, then as a senior advisor to the president and finally as deputy director of national intelligence.
Now senators are vetting whether he has the bona fides to serve atop the FBI, though Patel's controversial past comments about shutting down the agency have caused a stir on Capitol Hill.
Earlier this year the nominee said on ex Navy SEAL-turned-podcaster Shawn Ryan's show he wants to 'shut down' the FBI's D.C. headquarters and then 'reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.''
His fiery takes about the agency Trump has tasked him with leading show that he is not a traditional candidate, which some Senate Republicans obviously like.
And Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will be leading the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee overseeing Patel's confirmation, is signaling that he's a fan.
The Iowa senator sent a scathing letter to the current FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday, telling him he's 'seen enough' and it's time for him to 'move on' to make room for Patel to take over.
President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to head the FBI Kash Patel on Monday
Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's selection to run the FBI, has gotten positive feedback from lawmakers over his nomination
Patel spoke at several different campaign events for the president-elect earlier this year
Wray was appointed to a 10-year term to lead the agency in 2017 during Trump's first presidency.
But with Trump's nomination of a new director, and with Grassley's lengthly letter of disapproval, in essence, the memo was a warning to Wray - resign or you will be fired.
'For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,' Grassley told Wray.
The 91-year-old Iowan likened the letter to a 'vote of no confidence' in the FBI's top brass.
The 11-page letter obtained by DailyMail.com details issues plaguing the FBI from sexual misconduct, whistleblower retaliation, agency politicization and more.
Wray 'prevented the truth on some issues from ever reaching the American people,' Grassley wrote.
'I’ve spent my career fighting for transparency, and I’ve always called out those in government who have fought against it. For the public record, I must do so once again now. I therefore must express my vote of no confidence in your continued leadership of the FBI.'
Patel and Cornyn met Wednesday, afterwords Cornyn wrote about the meeting on X: 'Insightful conversation with FBI Director nominee @Kash_Patel about the path to overhauling and restoring the bureau to its original mission: Ensuring equal justice under law'
Kash Patel, right, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be the director of the FBI, leaves after a meeting in the office of Sen. John Cornyn
Sen. Chuck Grassley will lead the hearings overseeing Patel's confirmation come January. On Monday, he wrote to Wray its time for him to 'move on' from the FBI
'President-elect Trump has already announced his intention to nominate a candidate to replace you, and the Senate will carefully consider that choice. For my part, I’ve also seen enough, and hope your respective successors will learn from these failures,' Grassley concluded.
Among the specifics of the letter, the Republican states that Wray showed a double standard when authorizing the FBI raid on then former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
By contrast, the FBI did nothing when presented with bribery allegations regarding the Biden family, the senator argues.
Similarly Grassley slams Wray and Abbate for not helping Congress investigate matters related to sexual misconduct, vetting Afghan nationals after the tragic U.S. military withdrawal in 2021 and pulling security credentials from agency whistleblowers.
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, Patel received positive feedback from Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Joni Ernst of Iowa.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before a Senate committee in June
Deputy Director of the FBI Paul Abbate testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 30, 2024
Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Patel on Monday morning
'Insightful conversation with FBI Director nominee [Kash Patel] about the path to overhauling and restoring the bureau to its original mission: Ensuring equal justice under law,' Cornyn wrote on X after their morning meeting.
Following their sit-down the Texan told reporters he's 'inclined to support' the nominee, and he said the two spoke of reforming the agency.
'Eventually, I assume Mr. Patel will be confirmed as the FBI Director,' he said. 'We talked about the importance of restoring the reputation of the FBI as a nonpartisan law enforcement investigative agency.'
Ernst had a similarly positive post after the two's meeting.
'Kash Patel will create much-needed transparency at the FBI,' she said.
'He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies, downsizing the D.C. bureaucracy, and having public servants work on behalf of the American people!'
Patel said they discussed the FBI's involvement in fighting the spread of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl and crime in Iowa.
