By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff
WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) – FBI Director Kash Patel is set to face the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, when Democrats are expected to grill him over his leadership, use of taxpayer funds for personal travel and claims that arrests were imminent related to the 2020 election.
Republicans will likely ask about probes into the federal investigation of attempts to overturn that presidential election, an issue Republican committee chair Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa has said is a top priority for the committee.
Tuesday’s appearance comes days after Joe DiGenova, who had been leading an investigation scrutinizing several of Trump’s foes and that sought to prove the president was the victim of a criminal conspiracy, abruptly resigned last week. Patel will likely receive questions over the implications and reasons behind DiGenova’s departure.
It will be Patel’s first appearance before the Senate since May, when Democrats pressed him over a media report that the FBI director’s excessive drinking had interfered with his ability to lead the premier U.S. law enforcement agency. Patel defended his leadership and denied the report, arguing he has helped reduce crime nationwide.
Patel has since appeared with Trump to tout the lowest levels of violent crime in decades, a trend that had begun before Trump’s second term.
Patel has also forged an unprecedented partnership with China and Russia to combat transnational crime, Reuters previously reported, a program that critics say is dangerous and could undermine U.S. national security.
Patel has been the near-constant subject of controversy since he took over the FBI.
He drew criticism over media reports about him scuba diving at a Pearl Harbor memorial, and for drinking beer while celebrating with the gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team at the Milan Winter Olympics.
That scrutiny has at times come from Republicans, including Grassley, who sought information in a May 5 letter about Patel’s use of a government plane, luxury cars and other taxpayer funds, according to the top Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary committees.
Patel could also face questions over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, including about recently released texts showing Patel ordering a top aide to respond to anonymous social media accounts mocking that effort.
(Reporting by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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