#kash-patel
8 entries with this tag
The DOJ Sent Federal Agents to the Homes of Four New York Times Reporters With Grand-Jury Subpoenas — for Reporting That Trump's Qatari Air Force One Lacks Missile Defenses and That the Secret Service Told Him Not to Fly It — and the Prosecutor Who Issued Them Is Trump's Nominee to Run National Intelligence
The Justice Department subpoenaed four New York Times journalists — Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt — ordering them before a Manhattan federal grand jury "in regard to an alleged violation of criminal law." Federal agents delivered some of the subpoenas to the reporters' homes. Their offense: reporting that the Secret Service urged Trump to leave the NATO summit in Turkey aboard the old Air Force One rather than the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747, and that the gifted jet lacks "defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities." The subpoenas were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan — who is himself Trump's nominee to become Director of National Intelligence, with a confirmation hearing days away — and followed a White House meeting involving FBI Director Kash Patel. The Times said it will fight the order. Its newsroom lawyer David McCraw said federal agents on reporters' doorsteps "should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects." The National Press Club called it "an extraordinary assault on the freedom of the press that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment." The DOJ claimed "reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are." The move fits a pattern: the department earlier issued then withdrew similar subpoenas against Washington Post and Wall Street Journal reporters, the FBI searched a Post reporter's home in January, and in April 2025 AG Pam Bondi rescinded the Biden-era policy that shielded journalists' records in leak investigations. The reporting being criminalized is the same reporting documented here days ago — that the $400M+ rushed retrofit produced a plane one analyst said was suited to "domestic hops rather than hostile skies."
Kash Patel — Who Spent Years Attacking the Old FBI Director for Using a Jet — Now Has Two Government Jets, Wants an $80 Million Third, Bought Armored BMWs Instead of Suburbans, Put a $1M/Year SWAT Detail on His Country-Singer Girlfriend, and Demanded Snorkeling and Jet-Ski Perks — Until a Republican Who Defended Him Turned
FBI Director Kash Patel — who for years publicly attacked his predecessor Christopher Wray for using a government jet ("Chris Wray doesn't need a government-funded GV jet to go to vacation") — is now under bipartisan scrutiny for exactly that and more. The turning point: Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican who had previously defended Patel, sent him a letter demanding proof he reimbursed the FBI for personal flights and an explanation of "why you decided to purchase BMW vehicles instead of Chevy Suburbans," calling for an "independent and objective review." Reporting and whistleblower accounts describe: FBI Gulfstream flights for "date nights" with his girlfriend, sporting events, a hunting retreat, and a George Strait/Chris Stapleton concert watched from a private suite estimated at $35,000–$50,000; a trip to Italy to watch U.S. hockey win gold (he chugged a beer in the locker room); a taxpayer-funded helicopter tour across East Asia and jet-ski excursions; a "VIP snorkeling experience" in Hawaii near the sunken USS Arizona; four FBI SWAT agents and two SUVs assigned to protect his country-singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins in Nashville — an estimated ~$1 million a year before overtime; a fleet of armored BMWs replacing the standard Chevy Suburbans; and the bureau now seeking a new $80 million jet, after Patel was caught on camera bragging he "has two." Reps. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Dick Durbin, citing whistleblowers, said Patel demoted personnel in Brussels for failing to keep him entertained and that his conduct is "out of control" and "not the conduct of a committed and faithful public servant." One source quoted him telling field offices: "If you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting and beautiful sights, you're going to see a lot of me." Patel says FBI directors are "required users of the FBI plane" and that he is "entitled to a personal life"; the FBI says he "reimbursed ALL personal travel." All of it lands as Patel asks Congress for a $12 billion FBI budget.
Leon Black Testifies He Paid Epstein $158 Million, Refuses to Answer NDA Questions, Gets Subpoenaed Mid-Interview — Judge Finds Trump's Acting AG "Conceded" He's Violating Epstein Files Law, Orders Unredaction of Trump Sexual Assault Allegation and "Torture Video" Emails
Billionaire Leon Black, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, testified before the House Oversight Committee and admitted paying Jeffrey Epstein $158 million — 30 to 60 times more than he paid other advisors for similar work. He claimed he "knew Jekyll, didn't know Hyde," said Epstein told him the fees were tax-deductible "60-cent dollars" (they weren't), and acknowledged continuing the relationship five years after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to sex crimes involving a minor. When pressed on nondisclosure agreements — including one involving a six-year affair with a Russian model where Epstein advised Black on silencing her — Black refused to answer and was described by Democrats as having "stormed out." Chairman Comer issued two subpoenas on the spot: one for Black's NDAs, another for a videotaped deposition under oath on July 16. "Please call Leon Black" appears over 300 times in Epstein's files. Black's name appears 8,000+ times. He paid $62.5 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to avoid prosecution and explicitly acknowledged his money funded Epstein's sex trafficking operation. Three women have accused him of rape on Epstein properties — one was 16 with a rare form of Down syndrome. Meanwhile, federal judge Emmet Sullivan found that acting AG Todd Blanche "has conceded that he is in violation" of the Epstein Files Transparency Act and ordered the DOJ to unredact files by July 2 — including an FBI interview with a woman who alleged Trump sexually assaulted her as a teenager after Epstein introduced them (the FBI found her credible and interviewed her four times), and emails about a "torture video" involving sexual activity with minors. A New York Times report revealed VP Vance held Situation Room meetings to coordinate the White House's Epstein cover-up strategy, appearing "panicked" about the MAGA base's reaction. The Situation Room — designed for national security emergencies — became the nerve center for managing the Epstein crisis all summer, with Trump himself refusing to attend because he "snapped at anyone who mentioned it."
FBI Investigated NYT Reporter Who Wrote About Kash Patel's Girlfriend Getting an FBI SWAT Escort
FBI Director Kash Patel's bureau opened an investigation into New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson — who wrote about Patel giving his country singer girlfriend FBI security and transport — to determine if she broke federal stalking laws. FBI agents interviewed the girlfriend, searched databases for information on the reporter. DOJ officials killed the probe, finding no legal basis and calling it retaliation.
Judge Tosses Patel's Defamation Suit: Calling Him a "Nightclub Regular" Is "Rhetorical Hyperbole"
A federal judge dismissed FBI Director Kash Patel's defamation lawsuit against ex-FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, who said Patel was "visible at nightclubs far more than the seventh floor of" FBI HQ. The judge ruled it was "rhetorical hyperbole" — not defamation. The next day, Patel filed a new $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic over its 26-source exposé on his drinking.
The FBI Director Is MIA: Patel's Drinking, Absences, and the "Freak-Out" Over a Login Error
Per The Atlantic (26+ sources): FBI Director Kash Patel gets drunk regularly at D.C. clubs, his security detail has had trouble waking him, briefings get pushed back because of his nights out, and on April 10 he panicked and told people he'd been fired — because of a computer login error. Agents expressed relief. "It was all ultimately bullshit," one FBI official said.
FBI Director Patel's Personal Email Hacked by Iran — Was Warned Before Taking Office
Iran-linked hackers published 300+ emails and photos from FBI Director Kash Patel's personal Gmail. He had been warned in late 2024 about the breach before becoming FBI Director. The hackers sat on the materials for over a year before releasing them in retaliation for DOJ seizing their websites.
Kash Patel's FBI Political Purge
FBI Director Kash Patel purged agents who worked on January 6 and Trump criminal cases — court filings revealed he said he needed to fire them "to keep his own job." He also used the FBI jet for personal trips.