Patel’s nomination heads for a full Senate affirmation vote within the early afternoon.
WASHINGTON—The Senate voted 51–47 to advance the nomination of Kash Patel for head of the FBI on Thursday.
The ultimate vote is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. ET.
Patel gained fame for exposing alleged FBI and Justice Division malfeasance through the Crossfire Hurricane probe into the 2016 Trump marketing campaign.
If confirmed, he would lead an company that President Donald Trump and a few Republicans have accused of being weaponized for political functions.
Through the listening to, Patel condemned the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and denied having an “enemies checklist”—an allegation stemming from a listing of names on the finish of Patel’s ebook, “Authorities Gangsters: The Deep State, the Fact, and the Battle for Our Democracy.”
In an appendix to the ebook, Patel described the people named as “members of the manager department deep state.”
In the identical listening to, Patel pledged to help Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in figuring out these implicated within the little one intercourse trafficking actions of Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and little one intercourse offender.
“Little one intercourse trafficking has no place in america of America, and I’ll do all the pieces if confirmed as FBI director to verify the American public is aware of the total weight of what occurred up to now,” he mentioned.
The highest Republican and Democrat on the important thing Senate Judiciary Committee, which superior Patel’s nomination in a 12–10 vote alongside celebration strains, are sharply divided over the previous Trump administration official, who has a legislation diploma from Tempo College and a world legislation certificates from College School London.
After serving as senior counsel for the Home Intelligence Committee, the place he labored carefully with then-Chair Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) in a probe of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, Patel oversaw a Counterterrorism Directorate on the primary Trump administration’s Nationwide Safety Council. He later served as senior adviser to the appearing director of nationwide intelligence, Richard Grenell, and as chief of workers to Performing Secretary of Protection Christopher Miller.
Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) acknowledged Patel’s unconventional background, which doesn’t embrace senior-level legislation enforcement expertise, however mentioned he’s “the proper man on the proper time.”
“His profession has been a examine in combating for unpopular however righteous causes, exposing corruption and placing America first,” Grassley mentioned forward of the Feb. 18 procedural vote to advance Patel’s nomination within the full Senate.
Rep. Dick Durbin (D-In poor health.), the Judiciary Committee’s rating member, opposed shifting Patel’s nomination ahead, becoming a member of different Democrats on the Judiciary Committee in voting towards it on Feb. 13.
“After reviewing Kash Patel’s document, assembly with him, and questioning him at his listening to, I’m much more satisfied that he has neither the expertise, the judgment, nor the temperament to steer the FBI,” Durbin mentioned in a press release at the moment, noting that he had supported earlier Republicans chosen to steer the company.
Durbin drew consideration to whistleblower accusations he says present that Patel was already directing firings within the FBI previous to his affirmation.
The allegations derived partially from info from a Jan. 29 assembly known as by appearing FBI Director Brian Driscoll, the person Patel is changing. Earlier FBI Director Christopher Wray resigned shortly earlier than Trump took workplace.
At that assembly it was “relayed” that sure FBI staff should resign or be fired, Durbin mentioned. He cited notes from the assembly that learn, “KP needs motion at FBI, reciprocal actions for DOJ.”
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) hosted a press convention earlier in February with different Home Democrats to voice related considerations over Patel’s nomination.
FBI administrators, as “civil officers of america,” may be impeached underneath the Structure for committing “excessive crimes and misdemeanors.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) launched a decision in 2023 to question Wray.
Nonetheless, on the press convention, Ivey advised The Epoch Instances that Democrats’ lack of management of the Home would make an impeachment effort a non-starter.
“Impeachment? You understand, if we might simply get to transparency, disclosure, and accountability, that might be an enormous step in the proper route,” he mentioned.
The FBI is a part of the Division of Justice, now helmed by Pam Bondi, former Florida lawyer basic.
One other key federal legislation enforcement company, the Division of Homeland Safety, is now led by Kristi Noem, who was confirmed in January.
Through the January Judiciary listening to, Patel mentioned the FBI would help the Division of Homeland Safety the place acceptable in its efforts to deport particular curiosity aliens—unlawful aliens from international locations that current main nationwide safety and counter-intelligence dangers to america.
“I consider primacy rests with different businesses,” he advised Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.).