By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday alleged that President Donald Trump’s FBI director nominee Kash Patel has been secretly overseeing the ouster of the bureau’s leadership before being confirmed for the role.
Senator Dick Durbin said he learned about Patel’s alleged role in the firings from several whistleblowers, and he has asked Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to investigate.
Durbin, of Illinois, said that Patel was working with senior White House and Justice Department staffers to oversee the removals.
“This alleged misconduct is beyond the pale and must be investigated immediately,” Durbin wrote in a letter to the inspector general calling for an investigation urgently.
“It is unacceptable for a nominee with no current role in government, much less at the FBI, to personally direct unjustified and potentially illegal adverse employment actions against senior career FBI leadership and other dedicated, nonpartisan law enforcement officers.”
Patel spokesperson Erica Knight on social media called Durbin’s claims “second-hand gossip.”
“Kash Patel is a highly qualified national security expert who has been fully transparent with the American people throughout this process,” Knight said.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment.
Spokespeople for the White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The panel is set to vote on Thursday on Patel, who told lawmakers under oath during his confirmation hearing that he was unaware of any efforts to fire or punish FBI employees who worked on cases associated with Trump.
Patel may have perjured himself before the committee if the allegations are true, Durbin said.
The day after Patel’s hearing, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove fired eight senior career FBI officials and ordered the FBI’s Acting Director Brian Driscoll to hand over a list of every employee who worked on investigations related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump’s supporters.
Bove said the department would use the list to review whether further personnel action was warranted.
The demand for the list prompted two different groups of FBI agents to sue the Justice Department, in a bid to prevent senior Trump officials from releasing their names publicly, which they said could put agents at risk.
The department has since agreed not to release any names, and to provide the plaintiffs with at least 48 hours notice if that changes.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington)
