American Oversight Warns of Patel’s Dangerous Nomination Ahead of Senate Judiciary Hearing
American Oversight has condemned his nomination of Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who had his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.

American Oversight has condemned his nomination of Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who had his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.
American Oversight has been investigating Patel — a staunch loyalist to Trump who has promoted conspiracy theories and demonstrated a disdain for the rule of law — since the first Trump administration. During the president’s first term, he held positions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Department, having moved to the Pentagon when Trump replaced several top officials with loyalists after the 2020 election. Records obtained by American Oversight include communications sent in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection, as well as emails about hiring and media coverage.
Ahead of Patel’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, American Oversight interim Executive Director Chioma Chukwu has issued the following statement:
“Kash Patel’s nomination is powerful evidence that President Trump values personal fealty over qualifications and commitment to rule of law. Any official who publishes a list of ‘enemies’ has no business heading the principal investigative arm of the Department of Justice,” said Chukwu. “The Senate must serve the American people by thoroughly vetting Patel’s problematic record, and not merely act as a rubber stamp for President Trump’s anti-democratic agenda. American Oversight is prepared to hold the Trump administration accountable and fight against its abuses of power — including blatant threats to weaponize and politicize the Justice Department and its components.”
In 2021, American Oversight sued for communications records of top Trump administration officials from the time of the Jan. 6 insurrection, including Patel’s communications. One of the lawsuits revealed that the Pentagon had failed to preserve senior officials’ text messages, leading to the department announcing a change in policy.
The nomination of Patel, who rose through the ranks of the Trump administration as an avowed loyalist to the president, raises serious concerns about how the FBI could be weaponized by a president who during his first term routinely sought to politicize the Justice Department and has threatened “retribution” for his political enemies during his second term.
Patel has promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election as well as the “deep state,” which he has pledged to purge of “government gangsters.” In public statements, Patel has said he plans to “find the conspirators” in both government and in the media. “Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” he said. “We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.” Patel’s confirmation as FBI director would put him in charge of the federal law enforcement agency that he could direct to target his enemies list of critics and high-ranking officials.