Kash Patel defends Winter Olympics celebration as kash patel faces criticism over Milan locker-room footage
FBI Director kash patel has defended a trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy after footage of him celebrating with the U. S. men's hockey team prompted online criticism. The episode has drawn scrutiny because it coincided with the FBI handling multiple high-profile matters and because Patel flew on an agency aircraft.
Kash Patel in Milan locker room: beer, cheers and a public statement
Footage showed the FBI chief drinking a beer and cheering with players in a locker room on Sunday after the U. S. men's team defeated Canada in Milan. Patel told "very concerned media" he was "extremely humbled" to be with the men's team following that victory, and on social media on Sunday he wrote: "Yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on Earth. " The U. S. win marked the men's Olympic ice hockey gold for the first time in 46 years.
Travel on the FBI Gulfstream and public flight data
Public flight data showed Patel took a government plane last Thursday from Joint Base Andrews near Washington DC to a U. S. Air Force base in Italy. Separate reporting noted Patel flew on the FBI's Gulfstream jet bound for the winter Olympics in Italy to watch men's ice hockey, and that he planned to attend the bronze medal competition on Saturday and the gold medal competition on Sunday. Patel has previously come under scrutiny for his use of FBI jets; last November he reportedly used the FBI's plane to fly to Pennsylvania to see his country music star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins perform.
Official rationale: security meetings, briefings and reimbursement rules
An FBI official said Patel's travel included official government business such as meeting with an ambassador, briefings on Olympic security and other government meetings, and that the trip was planned months ago. FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson wrote late Thursday that Patel's trip was not personal and that the agency has a major role in Olympic security. Williamson wrote: "The FBI also has a major role in Olympic security – as we do with the World Cup, F1, and more – so we have a U. S. consulate briefing on Olympic security and current FBI posture, as well as thanking FBI personnel on the ground. "
As director, Patel is required to fly on the FBI jet so he can quickly return to Washington in an emergency or be available for secure communications during a crisis involving a mass casualty event or national security threat. He is also required to reimburse taxpayers for personal travel up to the cost of a commercial flight. An FBI official said Patel would reimburse the government for any portion of his travel that may be personal, while emphasizing he was going to Italy for government business.
Costs and precedent for director travel to Olympic settings
Government accounts estimate it costs U. S. taxpayers at least $5, 000 per flight hour for the FBI Gulfstream, meaning Patel's trip to Milan was likely to cost as much as $75, 000. The last known instance of an FBI director traveling to an Olympics setting occurred in November 2003, when then-Director Robert Mueller went to Greece for a two-day visit; Mueller's trip took place eight months before the Olympic events to review security preparations for the upcoming Summer Olympics there.
Political reaction and wider agency workload
Political criticism was swift. Congressman Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, described the Olympic trip as "grift and corruption, " writing: "Your taxpayer dollars funding the FBI director's Italian vacation. " Xochitl Hinojosa, a former Justice Department spokeswoman under President Joe Biden, wrote that "our FBI Director thinks he's a frat bro. " The FBI last week denied Patel was on a personal trip, saying it was planned months ago.
The trip also unfolded amid other agency commitments. Shortly before the Milan celebration, Patel posted on social media that the FBI was "dedicating all necessary resources" to investigating how an armed man tried to enter President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida; Secret Service agents fatally shot the alleged intruder. The Department of State issued a shelter-in-place warning on Sunday for U. S. citizens in parts of Mexico because of unrest after local authorities killed a drug cartel leader. The FBI is also helping in the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of anchor Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for more than three weeks. The timing has underscored that the Department of Justice remains busy while the FBI, as the department's main investigative agency, maintains multiple active responsibilities.
Names and roles noted in coverage
Ben Williamson is identified in official statements as an FBI spokesperson. Jason Crow is named as a congressman from Colorado. Xochitl Hinojosa is identified as a former Justice Department spokeswoman under President Joe Biden. Carol Leonnig is identified as a senior investigative reporter, and Ken Dilanian is identified as a justice and intelligence correspondent.
