FBI Director Kash Patel says the bureau secretly obtained his and Susie Wiles’ phone toll records while they were private citizens amid federal probes into President Donald Trump.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The FBI obtained phone toll records belonging to Kash Patel and Susie Wiles while both were private citizens during the Biden administration’s investigations into President Donald Trump, Patel told Reuters on Wednesday.
The news agency, which was first to report the development, said the subpoenas were issued in 2022 and 2023 as Special Counsel Jack Smith led investigations into whether Trump interfered with the 2020 election and retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago property after leaving office.
Smith was appointed special counsel in November 2022 to oversee those federal inquiries.
Patel, now serving as FBI director, described the seizure of his phone records and those of Wiles — who is currently White House Chief of Staff — as improper conduct by prior bureau leadership.
“It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records – along with those of now White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles – using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight,” Patel said in a statement to Reuters.
Reuters reported it could not independently verify the full scope, timing, or rationale behind the subpoenas. Patel said the records were placed in files categorized as “Prohibited,” making them difficult to locate within FBI systems after he assumed leadership in February 2025. He said he has since ended the bureau’s ability to use that file designation.
According to Patel, investigators obtained toll records detailing the dates, times, and recipients of phone calls made by him and Wiles, but not the content of the conversations. Federal authorities may obtain such records through subpoenas without judicial approval.
During the period in question, both Patel and Wiles were closely associated with Trump. Wiles later became a senior adviser and co-campaign manager for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Patel publicly asserted in 2022 that Trump had declassified documents removed to Mar-a-Lago, a claim prosecutors disputed and that Trump’s attorneys did not formally advance in court proceedings.
Patel was called to testify before a grand jury in 2022 after being granted limited immunity. He said he does not know whether he or Wiles were considered investigative targets or why their records were collected.
Smith charged Trump in 2023 with felony offenses related to the classified documents investigation. The case was later dismissed by a federal judge, and Smith dropped his appeal after Trump won election to a second term. Trump has denied wrongdoing in connection with the investigations.
Earlier this week, a federal judge permanently barred the Justice Department from releasing Smith’s report on the documents investigation. Smith has told Congress that court orders prevent him from discussing aspects of the probe not previously disclosed in court filings.
In prior congressional testimony, Smith said investigators “followed Justice Department policies, observed legal requirements and took actions based on the facts and the law.” He also stated that phone records obtained from lawmakers and others during related inquiries did not include call content and were used to confirm timelines surrounding events such as the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Democratic lawmakers have defended Smith’s actions, saying subpoenas and related investigative steps were necessary to thoroughly examine allegations involving Trump and his associates.
A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment on Patel’s allegations. Former President Joe Biden, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, and former FBI Director Chris Wray did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House and Wiles also did not immediately issue statements.
Patel said the record collection extended into Wiles’ tenure as co-campaign manager but did not specify when the subpoenas began or ended.
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