Democrat Sen. Hirono Puts FBI Chief Kash Patel Under Fire Over Explosive Drinking Allegation

You have been so drunk that briefings have been rescheduled so you could sleep it off. Mr. Patel, the FBI director should at least try to be above reproach, but there are many questions and concerns raised about your judgment and character. For example, in August 2025, you took a VIP snorkeling tour around the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, a sacred site. sacred. That is why these tours are rare. Since 2020, only senior defense officials, members of the military, and one congressman who was a Special Forces veteran have participated, and then came you. When this incident came to light in May, Senators Schumer, Durbin, and I sent you a letter and we asked you three simple questions. First, what personal travel have you taken as FBI director? Two, what non-official activities have you attended as part of official travel? Three, what has been the cost to taxpayers of these kinds of activities? And three months later, no response. Mr. Patel, when can we expect your response to our letter? I actually provided for the first time ever, no director did before, a full analysis of not only my travel records, but Director Comey and Ray's as well. So is that date anywhere in there for when you're going to respond to us? It's already been responded to. What was that? It's already been responded to. That letter is public. I don't have the response. Do you have it right there with you? Maybe you can hand it to me you can look it up that is i had a director who said that there was a report that he had right then and there and uh it didn't come to me until a lot later so if you have a response give it to me right now please it's public go look it up i assume that there is no response i'm i'm not holding my breath that you're gonna provide that response so anyway if if this uh snorkel tour an event were a one-off incident that would be one thing but it's part of a broader pattern of you using your office to benefit yourself showing your lack of judgment and character you have wasted untold taxpayer dollars driving around in foreign luxury cars partying in italy and flying a private jet to play golf and watch hockey there has been bipartisan criticism I'm glad to know that some of my Republican colleagues actually criticized some of this activity, and they have criticized this waste and abuse. So maybe today one of my Republican colleagues will demand an explanation of some of these activities of yours. Now, Mr. Patel, you have clearly politicized the FBI. And whenever you are asked, even today, questions that you don't feel like answering, your answer is it's ongoing. it's part of an investigation so you think that that covers everything and you don't answer so that is that is what you have resorted to aside from i've just watched you today uh in a very combative mode with my colleague uh mr welch senator welch and you attacking him which is also kind of the the way that you approach questions that you don't want to answer and then I note your recent appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee I'll get to that in a bit so to be clear there are many things that you should answer for you have been at the helm of the FBI for two years now and the list of your failings is long and frankly growing you have decimated the FBI workforce you've been asked that the FBI today is down thousands thousands of dedicated professionals who work to keep our country safe and frankly you're answer to some questions along those lines have been unbelievable and if I thought that I could get a real answer out of you I'd ask you questions like what the hell were you thinking in getting rid of 12 firing a dozen Iran experts on the eve of an illegal war with Iran and as far as I'm concerned the good work being done by the FBI agents and analysts of the sort that you describe is happening in spite of you, not because of you. You have lowered hiring standards to allow applicants with a history of bestiality and theft to serve as FBI employees. And I think all of us would love to know why an organization charged with investigating theft should bring thieves into your midst, but you won't give a straight answer as to why this change was made to your hiring. Even to Senator Kennedy's questions this morning, I think he's still pretty mystified as to why bestiality was taken off the list. You have been so drunk that briefings have been rescheduled so you could sleep it off. When challenged by Senator Van Hollen at the Appropriation Committee hearing several months ago to take an alcoholism test you agreed senator Van Hollen has posted the results of his test we are still awaiting you posting your results of your test the FBI has long identified racially ethnically motivated violent extremists that is an actual category which includes white nationalists as the most most lethal group of domestic terrorists in our country. Your FBI no longer talks about that threat. You no longer post about it. And it's not because the threat has gone away. And you approve so-called surges where FBI agents were diverted to low-level non-criminal immigration enforcement, something we know near and dear to the president's heart, when these agents should be focused on important missions such as preventing sex crimes elder fraud and drug trafficking you have undermined prosecutions by posting details to your social media you know you testified today that that to questions you don't feel like answering it's ongoing it's an investigation can't talk about it and yet you have actually posted things that should be ongoing and where you should keep your mouth shut Your FBI executed a raid of the election office in Fulton County, Georgia, and seized ballots in an effort to prove the president's unhinged conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Another thing near and dear to the president's heart and which you sought to help him out on. And yet, you have done nothing about the rampant corruption taking place at the highest levels of the executive branch. We all know that President Trump accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar, which he plans to keep after he leaves office. Tech billionaires received special access to the White House in exchange for paying for the president's new ballroom vanity project. Pardons have been available for $1 million contributions to the president's campaign. and just this week it has been revealed that a Russian oligarch paid hundreds of thousands of dollars so Donald Trump Jr. could have his wedding on a private island. The FBI is supposed to be investigating this sort of blatant public corruption, not turning a blind eye. Mr. Patel, this country needs an FBI director who will give us straight answers, not obfuscate, not give us the kind of rhetoric that you have provided once again today it is a disservice to this committee's oversight functions and it's certainly a disservice to the american people and it is no wonder that former attorney general bill barr said you would take a leadership role at the FBI over his dead body and yet here you are mr chairman i am done with this witness