WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement on his vote opposing the confirmation of Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):

“The person in charge of running America’s most elite and powerful law enforcement agency should be someone with unquestioned character and integrity, a person with vast experience and clear independence who will put the Constitution and public safety first.

“When a Republican like William Webster, who served as President Reagan’s FBI and CIA Director, says Mr. Patel should not be FBI Director, people, especially Republicans, ought to listen.  Sadly, once again, my colleagues are going along to get along.

“Kash Patel is by far the most partisan, ideological, and extremist pick for this critical position.  Mr. Patel has no experience as a senior law enforcement officer.  Rather, he was chosen for his submissive fealty to Donald Trump and rabid willingness to serve Trump’s personal interest instead of the public interest. 

“Mr. Patel’s past actions and statements make clear his focus will be turning the FBI from an apolitical agency into Trump’s politically-motivated police force.  I am deeply concerned that Mr. Patel will abuse the FBI’s resources and direct them against anyone who disagrees with President Trump or declines to carry out Trump’s wishes, including members of the media exercising their First Amendment rights through accurate reporting and ordinary Americans exercising their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and assembly.

“Even Trump’s own Attorney General from his first term said that Patel would become FBI director over his dead body.  And Trump’s own Vice President and White House counsel from his first term intervened to prevent Patel from being appointed as CIA deputy director.  Having seen his work up close, they had grave concerns about giving Mr. Patel responsibility and authority to enforce the law.

“And in a stunning move, Mr. Patel has refused to sell his shares of a Chinese company and stands to receive millions of dollars in compensation while he will be responsible for protecting the American people from the threats of Chinese espionage and cybercrime.

“Mr. Patel routinely spreads misinformation and debunked conspiracies and cannot be trusted to be forthright and truthful to Congress or the American people.  For these reasons and more, he is not fit to lead the FBI.”

In practice, FBI Directors serve a ten-year term that spans multiple administrations unless they resign, die, or are removed.  Over the last thirty years, there have been just four Senate-confirmed FBI Directors: Louis Freeh; Robert Mueller; James Comey; and Christopher Wray, who President Donald Trump nominated during his first term and who President Joe Biden kept on.

This marks the first time in his Senate career that Senator Reed voted to oppose a nominee to lead the FBI.  Mr. Patel’s nomination was narrowly approved on a vote of 51-49.