Senator Murray Grills Kash Patel on Tenure at FBI

Murray : "We need somebody at this agency who's focused on solving criminal cases, not passing out branded bourbon, or jetting around the globe. Your job is to be reachable. … If you want to pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting."

ICYMI : Senator Murray on President Trump's FY27 Budget Request

***WATCH : Senator Murray's full questioning***

Washington, D.C. - Today-at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget requests for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned FBI Director Kash Patel on steps he's taken that have undermined the Bureau's mission and on his fitness for the role.

Appearing at the hearing as witnesses were: Kash Patel, Director of the FBI; Robert Cekada, Director of the ATF; Gadyaces S. Serralta, Director of the U.S. Marshals Service; and Terrance C. Cole, Administrator of the DEA.

[PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS UNDERMINE FBI'S WORK]

Senator Murray began by drawing attention to the FBI successfully going after fraud and how Trump's recent pardons undermine that important work.

MURRAY: Director Patel, I want to start by recognizing important work by the FBI to crack down on fraud. In one case, the FBI helped bring to justice multiple former business owners who orchestrated a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme on the American people.

And those business owners filed nearly a million false claims for services that they never provided to any patients. Literally stealing from American taxpayers and preying on vulnerable people who are suffering from Alzheimer's, and dementia, and substance abuse. But thanks to the FBI, those crooks were held accountable.

So, I just wanted to ask you today if you would pass along my gratitude to those FBI agents for their tireless work bringing those criminals to justice?

PATEL: I will, ma'am. The fraud work is often overlooked, and I greatly appreciate that.

MURRAY: And very important, but I do have to say unfortunately, President Trump-the guy who says he's going after fraud-granted this man, Lawrence Duran, clemency last June. He was set free and let off the hook for the $87 million he owed in restitution. And Trump granted clemency to Duran's business partner last February-cutting well short her 35-year prison term.

He literally undid the important justice work the FBI served and let fraudsters off the hook, and I find that deeply disturbing.

[TAKING FBI AGENTS OFF THE BEAT]

Senator Murray continued by pressing Director Patel on how his efforts to reassign FBI agents en masse to support Trump's mass deportation agenda have pulled resources away from critical missions and jeopardized public safety.

MURRAY: I want to take a moment to reiterate the important role of DOJ law enforcement in keeping all of us safe. Those agents and deputy marshals are absolutely critical to making sure public safety and solving crime, but I worry that instead of pursuing these child abusers, or terrorists, or drug traffickers, or other criminals, you have our agents spending time carrying out Stephen Miller's mass deportation agenda and harassing families and children.

I want to ask you, Director Patel, how many FBI agents have been reassigned to work on immigration enforcement?

PATEL: No one at the FBI has been reassigned to work solely on immigration, ma'am.

MURRAY: Well, I would differ with you because according to the Cato Institute, more than two thousand FBI agents were reassigned to work on immigration enforcement in 2025.

And by the way, it's not just the FBI. More than 2,000 agents from the DEA, more than 600 from the Marshals Service, and more than 1,000 ATF agents are spending their time on immigration enforcement.

That has, really, pulled critical, highly trained assets off of work to keep our communities safe from drugs, guns, and other threats, and I find that deeply disturbing.

[INVESTIGATING JOURNALISTS]

Senator Murray then addressed grave concerns about Patel's fitness for the role that have been underscored in recent reports and pressed him on reporting suggesting he is using FBI resources to investigate reporters who've covered him.

MURRAY: Now, Director Patel, I want to ask you about a number of extremely troubling stories recently about your leadership and temperament, and what's happened to the FBI with you at the top.

And in response to all the concerns about your leadership, instead of righting the ship, you've taken to polygraphing your employees to scare them and attempt to rat out leakers. There are reports that you are using FBI resources to investigate journalists for reporting what's going on. That is absolutely not what this committee intended when we funded the Bureau.

So, can you commit to this committee today that no agent-hours have been pulled from other work, like counterterrorism or violent crime investigations, to work on matters related to negative press about you or your personal lawsuit?

PATEL: Senator, I greatly appreciate the question, and I can tell you unequivocally this FBI is targeting and investigating no journalists. This FBI is targeting no journalists. The Obama and Biden administrations targeted dozens of journalists, sent out 1200 interviews-

MURRAY: I didn't ask you about the Biden administration, I asked if you could commit to this committee that no agent hours have been pulled from other work.

PATEL: We have not done so.

MURRAY: Okay well there are reports that you're using FBI resources to investigate journalists. You are saying to this committee today that is not true.

PATEL: That's correct, ma'am.

[PATEL'S FITNESS TO LEAD FBI]

MURRAY: Let me just say, Director Patel. We need a serious budget for the FBI, but we also need serious leadership. And I will say this; there is one clear priority in Trump's overall budget-and it isn't law and order. It is war.

Because while Trump is proposing cuts to programs that really do keep people safe, he wants to increase war spending by half a trillion dollars. And I don't need to tell anyone here: we are not going to bomb our way to safer communities.

So, I intend to help rip that budget up and help write bills that keep families safe.

But beyond that budget, we need serious leadership at the FBI that the American people can trust. And I am deeply concerned about the reports that your leadership has not been serious. We need somebody at this agency who's focused on solving criminal cases not passing out branded bourbon, or jetting around the globe. Your job is to be reachable.

And I know Senator Van Hollen asked you about this, but I have got to say, if you want to pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room, stick to podcasting. Leave law and order to people who really do care more about justice and appearances, that is really critical. It's what I am really deeply concerned about and so are many people.

PATEL: Can I respond? This is what real leadership looks like at the FBI. Every one of you was given it. This is what's happened under my tenure at the FBI and the Trump administration. Twenty-point drop in the homicide rate. 45,000 violent offenders arrested last year, twice as many as 2024. 2,450 criminal gangs disrupted, that's a 322% increase from 2024. 6,900 child victims have been located since I've been in the seat, that's a 144% increase. 2,900 child predators and human traffickers arrested, that's a 70% increase and we've arrested eight of the top ten want of most wanted fugitives in the world in fourteen months, that's twice as many in the four years combined. That is what the men and women of the FBI are doing-well-resourced. Everyone should take a look at this, if people want to continue the baseless, fraudulent, false personal attacks at me-that's great. Keep the target on me as I've always said, but the mission has never been better.

MURRAY: I appreciate the work of our FBI agents, but leadership-serious leadership is a concern. And we are seeing the pictures of passing out branded bourbon and what happened at the Olympics, jetting around the globe and all the rest of it-and that, I will say again, Mr. Chairman, is of deep concern to me.

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