Durbin Votes 'No' On Advancing President Trump's Pick To Be FBI Director, Kash Patel
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voted against advancing President Donald Trump’s pick to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, in the Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting this morning. The Committee voted to advance his nomination on a party-line vote of 12-10.
Key Quotes:
“After reviewing Kash Patel’s record, meeting with him, and questioning him at his hearing, I am even more convinced that he has neither the experience, the judgment, nor the temperament to lead the FBI.”
“I have served on this Committee during the consideration of four FBI Director nominations before this one. Each one was a Republican, and I voted for all of them.”
“It turns out that Mr. Patel is already seeking retribution on behalf of President Trump, despite his status as a private citizen. As I revealed earlier this week, multiple whistleblowers have disclosed to my staff highly credible information indicating that Mr. Patel, a civilian, is personally directing the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI. The ramifications of these terminations are dangerous, and they go beyond Mr. Patel’s fitness for office.”
“It is unacceptable for a nominee to justify the potentially illegal firing of dedicated, nonpartisan FBI officials. If these allegations are true, Mr. Patel has become dangerously close to perjury before this Senate Judiciary Committee. Why do I say that? During [his confirmation] hearing, when asked about the terminations [at] the FBI, Mr. Patel said ‘I don't know what is going on right now over there.’ Mr. Patel seems to be unable to wait for confirmation to carry out his plan of retribution on behalf of President Trump. This is a private citizen, Patel, with no role in government allegedly [directing] baseless firings of career politicians and then misleading this Committee about his actions.”
“Given the serious nature of these allegations, I’ve asked the DOJ Inspector General to investigate. I urge my Republican colleagues to take these allegations seriously. I know you want to be loyal to your President, I know you want to vote for all of his nominations. I know none of you want a call from Elon Musk tomorrow morning saying what he might do if you vote the wrong way.”
“This is not the only time that Mr. Patel misled the Committee under oath. At his hearing, he implausibly told me that he could not recall Stew Peters, an antisemitic Holocaust denier... This is simply not credible, considering that Mr. Patel appeared on Mr. Peters’s podcast eight times… And, Mr. Peters has since revealed that he and Mr. Patel directly communicate via their personal cell phones, ‘constantly.’”
“Mr. Patel clearly lacks the temperament to lead the FBI. I wonder if any of my Republican colleagues read his book, ‘Government Gangsters.’ In this book, Mr. Patel has published an enemies list of 60 people who he calls ‘members of the deep state’ and accuses of being, ‘corrupt actors of the first order.’ This list includes many distinguished public servants—both Democrats and Republicans alike. What they share in common is the misfortune of having crossed paths with Mr. Patel.”
“Mr. Patel has also displayed a startling disdain for the agency he has been nominated to lead. He wants to ‘shut down the F.B.I. Hoover Building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’’ He falsely claimed that the FBI ‘was planning January 6 for a year.’ And he has been clear about what he wants to do with the FBI’s vast surveillance and investigative powers, saying, ‘We’re going to come after the people in the media.’”
“Mr. Patel has been open about his plans to dismantle the FBI and seek retribution. And he has already begun that mission as a private citizen, targeting senior FBI officials.”
“Mr. Patel’s directives have thrown the Bureau into chaos. Senior executives who collectively have hundreds of years of experience have been forced out. Thousands of line agents across the country are living in fear of losing their jobs simply because [they did what] they were assigned to do.”
“How does any of this make America safer? The American people need an FBI Director who is focused on keeping the public safe from terrorism, drug trafficking, and violent crime—not petty personal grievances.”
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
Multiple whistleblowers have disclosed to Durbin’s staff highly credible information indicating that Kash Patel has been personally directing the ongoing purge of senior law enforcement officials at the FBI. Earlier this week, Durbin sent a letter to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz requesting an investigation into these allegations.
To view Durbin’s questions to Mr. Patel in his confirmation hearing click here and here.
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