Durbin Slams Senate Republicans For Blindly Supporting Kash Patel For FBI Director Despite Serious Concerns On Fitness To Serve
Ahead of procedural vote, Durbin: “My Senate Republican colleagues are willfully ignoring myriad red flags about Mr. Patel, especially his recurring instinct to threaten retribution against his and President Trump’s perceived enemies.”
WASHINGTON – Ahead of tonight’s procedural vote on the nomination of Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate Floor regarding his serious concerns about Mr. Patel, which includes whistleblower reports that Mr. Patel has been personally involved in the ongoing purge of FBI officials.
Key Quotes:
“After meeting with Mr. Patel, reviewing his record, and questioning him under oath at his hearing, I am deeply concerned about his fitness to serve as FBI Director. He has neither the experience, the judgment, nor the temperament to lead the FBI.”
“My Senate Republican colleagues, sadly, are willfully ignoring myriad red flags about Mr. Patel, especially his recurring instinct to threaten retribution against his political enemies and President Trump’s perceived enemies. This is an extremely dangerous characteristic for someone who seeks to lead the nation’s most powerful domestic investigative agency for the next 10 years.”
“On day one, [Kash Patel] plans to ‘shut down the F.B.I. Hoover Building and reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’’ He even wrote a book on this subject, and I punished myself by requiring that I read it from cover to cover so I understood exactly what this man believed. He has peddled outrageous conspiracy theories that benefit President Trump, claiming that January 6th—the assault on the Capitol—was ‘never an insurrection’ and that the FBI ‘was planning January 6 for a year.’ Where is this man coming up with these wild theories?”
“He compiled an enemies list and published it in the back of his book. Sixty names—‘members of the deep state,’ which includes distinguished public servants from both political parties—like former Attorneys General Bill Barr and Merrick Garland and former FBI Directors Robert Mueller and Chris Wray as the so-called ‘members of the deep state’… whatever that may be.”
“[Patel] decided to assemble a choir of the January 6th individuals who were prosecuted. Then he was involved in making a recording of a patriotic song that these prisoners were singing. Then, he was selling this recording and playing it at the rallies for President Trump… which he denied during our hearing, under oath.”
“Before even being confirmed as the FBI Director, Mr. Patel is already seeking retribution on behalf of President Trump despite Patel’s status as a private citizen. Multiple whistleblowers have disclosed highly credible information to my staff, indicating that Mr. Patel has personally directed the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI. Senior leaders with collectively hundreds of years of experience have been forced out at the FBI, creating a leadership vacuum.”
“In the FBI’s long history, this has never happened before—never. Keep in mind that the Director is the only [political] appointee at the FBI, and [that] the leaders have been forced out despite their career commitment to law enforcement. This purge has dramatically weakened FBI’s ability to protect the country from national security threats and made America less safe.”
“If these whistleblower allegations are true that Kash Patel, as a private citizen, has been orchestrating the purging of the ranks at the FBI because of political loyalty questions, I will tell you that he came dangerously close to perjuring himself during his nomination hearing when he was asked about the possible firings of FBI officials and he answered, under oath, ‘I don’t know what’s going on right now’ at the FBI. Mr. President, we’re told that’s not true.”
“Mr. Patel has been open about his plans to dismantle the FBI and seek retribution against his and President Trump’s enemies. His directives as a private citizen have already thrown the Bureau into absolute chaos.”
“Mr. Patel’s recent actions and testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee confirm my belief that he is dangerous, inexperienced, and he’s been dishonest in portraying his role in what’s happening at the FBI.”
“It will be a political and national security disaster if he is confirmed.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
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