WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today grilled Kash Patel about his conduct and tenure as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Senator Welch demanded answers about Director Patel’s use of the FBI’s private jet to attend UFC fights and sporting events, his firing of career FBI agents working on cases related to the January 6th insurrection, and cuts to local law enforcement budgets in Vermont.
The Judiciary Committee has oversight jurisdiction of the FBI. Senator Welch voted against Director Patel’s nomination in February.
Sen. Welch: “You were rightly critical of the way that the previous FBI Director used the FBI jet. You said you wanted to, ‘ground Chris Wray’s private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country’…On April 5th, you attended a hockey game in New York City—you don’t live there, right?”
Dir. Patel: “No, I don’t.”
Sen. Welch: “By the way, everyday FBI agents who are assigned in Washington don’t get to fly home on a private jet.”
Dir. Patel: “Well, this is a great point. Do you know why I have to use a private jet? Because Congress made it mandatory.”
Sen. Welch: “Well, we didn’t make it mandatory that you go to UFC games with Mel Gibson.”
Senator Welch also questioned Director Patel’s incorrect statement that the alleged suspect who murdered Charlie Kirk had been caught:
Sen. Welch: “Director Patel, at one point you made an announcement that the suspect was in custody—we got our man. It turned out that was not true. In fact, I think that was about 27 hours before the person now in custody was apprehended. Why did you make that statement?”
Dir. Patel: “I appreciate you letting me address this. What the FBI does is not just locate and find suspects. We also participate in eliminating subjects. And what we had at the time was a subject custody in relation to this investigation. So, in my commitment to work with the public to help identify subjects and suspects, I put that information out. And then when we interviewed him, I put out the results of that. And could I have been more careful in my verbiage and included a subject instead of subject? Sure, in the heat of the moment. But I was doing the best I could.”
Sen. Welch: “You know, in all candor, I don’t quite get that. Because if we have our man, that would suggest to the public that everybody can rest and relax, and not then continue providing information to local law enforcement and to you. So, that was a mistake.”
Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and FBI Director Kash Patel:
Senator Welch has been a staunch opponent of Kash Patel’s appointment to serve as Director of the FBI. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January, the Senator grilled Patel about his refusal to acknowledge that President Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election. Senator Welch also spoke on the Senate Floor to emphasize Patel’s willingness to enable President Trump’s reckless illegality and destruction of democratic institutions.
In February, joined Senate Judiciary Democrats outside of the FBI Headquarters building in Washington, D.C. to call on their Republican colleagues to block the nomination of Patel on the Senate Floor. Senator Welch also expressed deep concern about reports that Patel has been personally involved in the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to target and fire career FBI agents and officials. Under oath, Patel told Senator Welch he had no recollection of the purge at the FBI.
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