Durbin opposes Patel after meeting with FBI nominee

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he plans to oppose the nomination of Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI.

“Kash Patel has neither the experience, the temperament, nor the judgment to lead the FBI,” Durbin said in a statement after a 30-minute meeting with Patel.

“Mr. Patel’s political grievances make him a favorite of the MAGA world, but they have not prepared him to work night and day to keep us safe from violent crime, drug trafficking, terrorism, and other threats. Mr. Patel is the wrong choice to lead the FBI.”

Durbin also referenced the FBI’s 30,000 employees, saying they “deserve a leader who understands the gravity of their mission.”

Durbin’s statement comes as the panel has set a Jan. 29 hearing to review Patel’s nomination, the same day it will also hold a business meeting to weigh the nomination of Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general.

Patel has already faced scrutiny from Durbin, who asked a trio of national security agencies that employed Patel during the first Trump administration to turn over information from their personnel files.

The letters lay out a series of allegations, including that Patel pushed to stop transition coordination with the incoming Biden administration, sought to declassify information that would be favorable to Trump and was identified as a helpful figure for the man leading Trump’s efforts to thwart the transfer of power after losing the 2020 election.

One letter points to reporting from Bloomberg showing that Patel coordinated efforts with officials at the White House and Department of Justice, as well as Republican lawmakers, to declassify documents such as depositions with former Obama-era officials who were involved in the investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia.

Lawmakers have also sounded the alarm about Patel’s loyalty to Trump.

He wrote a children’s book criticizing the investigation into Trump’s Russia ties and penned another book called “Government Gangsters” which included a list of names of officials he has since said must be held accountable.

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