Kash Patel, FBI’s new Indian American director, seems to relish the spotlight, a departure from his predecessors who preferred a low-key approach, according to a New York Times report.
He recently attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Miami and two National Hockey League games, even grinning in photographs with Wayne Gretzky. Patel, a lifelong hockey fan, was spotted in the owner’s suite at one game, watching Alex Ovechkin break Gretzky’s scoring record.
Since taking over, he’s been seen accompanying President Donald Trump, delivering a speech at the Justice Department, and hovering behind him during the UFC match.
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Patel, 44, seems to enjoy his visible role as the head of the nation’s most important law enforcement agency, the Times wrote. “Unlike his predecessors, who deflected attention to avoid distractions, Patel seems to embrace the spotlight.”
The last three directors, each with distinct personalities, operated at arm’s length from the president. Robert S. Mueller III was serious and laconic, while James B. Comey was a powerful orator who made headlines. Christopher A. Wray, who stepped down before Trump took office, fell between them, according to the news.
Patel, confirmed in February, has quickly reshaped the bureau by pushing agents into the field and senior executives to step down. He rejiggered the reporting structure, undoing changes made by Mueller, and brought in a deputy who has never been an agent.
However, these changes have not resonated with Patel’s followers, prompting his deputy, Dan Bongino, to assert that results will be seen, though not everyone will be pleased, according to the Times.
Days later, Patel, heeding congressional requests, released records about the FBI’s investigation into Trump advisers’ alleged conspiracy with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election, an inquiry he denounced.
Despite some of his work remaining under the radar, Patel has praised his success, sharing glowing news coverage of his early moves on social media.
In March, the FBI published a recruitment video featuring the elite Hostage Rescue Team training in Quantico, Virginia. Patel, dressed in hunting camouflage, watched as helicopters ferried faceless agents who rappelled onto a building and burst into the unit’s shooting house while tossing flash bangs.
Patel’s active social media presence, including flattering stories about the FBI and updates on drug seizures and extraditions, contrasts with his criticism of publications like The New York Times for reporting on personnel moves.
Patel, the youngest FBI director since Edgar Hoover in 1924, is a bachelor living in Las Vegas. He belongs to the Poodle Room, a lavish club near his home.
Like Hoover, who frequented clubs catering to the wealthy, Patel enjoys the company of his friends. Hoover never married, while Patel is dating Alexis Wilkins, a country music singer from Nashville. Despite the challenges of being director, Patel seems to prioritise his personal life.
Citing the New York Times report, Steve Benen, an MSNBC political contributor, suggested Patel prioritises public image over credibility.
“To be seen as a capable and serious leader, he should have invested time and energy in proving his worth by doing real work for the bureau,” he wrote in an opinion piece, “but instead, he has done the opposite.”
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Benen found Patel’s actions concerning, suggesting “he hasn’t tried to shake his reputation as an unqualified amateur. He’s misstated key FBI work, confused intelligence and counterintelligence, and ordered officials to relocate 1,500 employees from Washington, D.C., despite the bureau’s lack of resources.”
“Furthermore, he’s taken steps to break down the firewalls between his office and the White House, including asking about creating a direct communication hotline with President Trump,” Benen wrote.
He also cited NBC News as reporting that Patel placed Brian Auten, a government expert on Russia, on leave, despite Auten’s name appearing on Patel’s published list of alleged “deep state” actors.
“These actions don’t indicate an official eager to boost credibility. Instead, they suggest confidence in the president’s tendency to oust FBI directors who fail to honour his political whims,” Benen wrote.