Kash Patel to face questions from Congress amid turmoil at his FBI

By Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — After months of slow burning controversies around his agency, from the handling of the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder to the bungled release of Epstein files, FBI Director Kash Patel will face Senate and House lawmakers at two highly anticipated hearings.

Lawmakers are expected to push Patel, a Donald Trump loyalist and right-wing firebrand, to explain to a questioning public whether he is truly equipped to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency and to confront doubters who worry he’s stripped the bureau of some of its credibility.

Before Kirk, a friend of Patel, was murdered last week, the FBI director had been preparing to focus at least some of his testimony on his efforts to relitigate the 2016 Russia investigation, and what Patel has said was a plot by the FBI to undermine Trump, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

But as anger has grown against Patel’s handling of the investigation into the shooting – including in interviews this week – he’s likely to face pointed questions regarding whether he can handle the job.

On Monday, Patel took the unprecedented step of discussing evidence on air, telling Fox News the FBI had located DNA from a towel and screwdriver found near the gun they believe was used to kill Kirk and have matched the DNA to that of the alleged shooter

Some inside the Justice Department have voiced concern that Patel’s airing of evidence could hamper later prosecution of the accused shooter, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Patel previously came under heavy criticism after he hastily announced Wednesday that the FBI had a “subject” in custody for Kirk’s murder, only to walk it back two hours later. The blunder infuriated officials inside the Justice Department and other law enforcement agencies assisting in the manhunt and did little to abate concerns over his leadership.

Still, Patel is touting his own role in the eventual capture of the alleged shooter by noting he had pushed for publicly releasing the images collected by law enforcement. The alleged shooter’s father subsequently recognized his son from one of the images.

“I made an executive decision on an investigative and operational need,” Patel said on Fox News on Monday, adding that “it turned out to be the right move.”

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said had full confidence in Patel and downplayed his public relations errors during the investigation.

Pressed by CNN’s Maju Raju on how Patel has acted in the Kirk probe, Grassley responded, “so he announced two things that turned out to be a mistake. Everybody makes a mistake.”

Patel also received a possible vote of confidence from the president Monday, appearing with him, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others in the Oval Office.

Purge of FBI staff and the Epstein files

Democrats are expected to push Patel on his purge of senior staff inside the bureau and allegations made by three former agents who filed a lawsuit last week that accused the director of dismissing the former agents for political reasons.

That lawsuit also claimed that Patel and his senior staff were making decisions, at least in part, because of reactions on social media – an allegation that has only gained traction during the Kirk assassination investigation.

Beginning on his first day in office, Patel was a key figure in handling so-called “Epstein files.” Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, promised alongside Bondi to release as much evidence as possible that was gathered against accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein — a promise they reneged on several months later.

As the DOJ and the FBI faced public outrage over decision, Patel faced a second, internal crisis as Bongino threatened to quit his post. The threat came amid a clash between Patel, Bongino and Bondi over whether the two men were behind media reports that said the FBI wanted more information released but was ultimately stymied by the Department of Justice, an allegation they denied.

Bongino has so far remained on the job.

Patel has also repeatedly said the FBI is revisiting a long-held grievance from allies of the president: that the criminal probe into whether Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia was a “hoax” intended to tank his campaign.

Republicans on the House and Senate committees hope to focus their questioning on Patel’s allegations that past directors and leaders in the FBI tried to hide away documents in burn bags behind locked doors at FBI headquarters.

While details of any criminal investigation into those involved in the Russia investigation are still scant, the DOJ is reportedly conducting another investigation into former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, though it is not clear what crime they are being investigated for.

CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz and Evan Perez contributed to this report.

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