Patel scrutinized over past work for Qatar

Kash Patel, President Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, previously worked as a consultant to the government of Qatar, newly released disclosures show, raising questions from ethics experts about his failure to register as a foreign agent.

Patel listed the U.S. Embassy of Qatar as among the clients of his consulting company Trishul, which he has managed since shortly after Trump left office in 2021.

State Democracy Defenders Action said Patel failed to register his consulting work, something they said could violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

“It appears neither Patel nor Trishul is registered under FARA for services provided to Qatar, leaving open the important question of exactly what Patel did for Qatar when he was serving as a national security advisor to President Trump during the 2024 election,” Norm Eisen, the group’s founder and a former Trump impeachment lawyer, wrote in the letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“If confirmed as the head of the FBI, Patel will be responsible for law enforcement investigations into possible FARA violations. And he will be expected to carry out this duty faithfully and impartially,” Eisen wrote, noting recent FARA cases involving those who failed to disclose work for the Qatari government.

The letter is also sign by Virginia Canter, chief ethics counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

The disclosure forms show Patel earned more than $2 million through the consulting firm, though it is unclear how much of that came from Qatar.

In another form, Patel indicated he does not plan to divest from Trishul, instead saying he will recuse himself from any matters related to its work for the next year. 

“Upon confirmation, my consulting firm will cease engaging in any business, including the representation of clients. During my appointment to the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the firm will remain dormant and will not advertise,” he wrote.

“The agency will grant me a written authorization to participate personally and substantially in particular matters involving specific parties in which I know the country of Qatar is a party or represents a party. Until such an authorization is granted, I will recuse pursuant to the impartiality regulation...for a period of one year after my resignation.”

But Eisen said that also merits scrutiny.

“This arrangement at the very least raises questions about whether he plans to continue his relationship with Qatar as soon as he leaves the government,” he wrote.

Patel did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Other details of Patel’s filings, previously covered by Business Insider, show Patel is worth nearly $6 million.

That includes Elite Depot, described as a “fashion management company” worth between $1 million and $5 million for whom Patel does consulting.

Patel’s financial disclosures weren’t publicly posted ahead of his hearing, so his financial dealings received little scrutiny during the Thursday meeting.

Much of the hearing focused on past controversial statements from Patel, many of which he did not acknowledge or cast as taking him out of context.

That includes seeking to distance himself from a choir comprised of jailed Jan. 6 defendants whose song he previously promoted as well as comments he’s made about prosecuting journalists.

He also said he would follow the law but did not commit to resigning if asked to do anything illegal and would not address prior calls to prosecute former FBI Director Christopher Wray.

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