Republicans on Senate Judiciary Committee Advance Profoundly Unqualified Kash Patel
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, every Republican senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Kash Patel’s nomination as director of the FBI to the Senate floor.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, issued the following statement in response:
“The Senate Judiciary Committee’s advancement of Kash Patel is deeply alarming. As multiple Trump administration officials have stated, Patel is ‘profoundly unqualified’ to lead the FBI, with no senior law enforcement experience nor prior Senate-confirmed positions.
“Patel has made it perfectly clear what his priorities will be as FBI director: going after Trump’s enemies, including members of Congress, journalists, and law enforcement officials.
“Since his hearing, Patel’s potential confirmation has only gotten more concerning. Last week, we learned Patel failed to disclose worrying financial ties to Qatar. This week, a whistleblower revealed that Patel has personally directed politically-motivated purges at the FBI, despite not yet being confirmed, and despite claiming in his initial hearing that he would not pursue such purges.
“The politicization of the FBI under Kash Patel will mean the immense taxpayer-provided resources of the FBI are focused on Trump’s personal political revenge — keeping agents from doing their actual jobs and making Americans less safe.
“His nomination should be rejected by the Senate when it comes to the floor for a full vote next week.”