Friday 23/January/2026 – 06:09 PM
FBI Director Kash Patel is facing harsh criticism from dozens of current and former officials who believe he is doing his job poorly amid accusations against his girlfriend, according to a report published by the Daily Mail.
Harsh criticism targets Kash Patel
After President Donald Trump won the election in November 2024, 45 agents, officials and executives spoke with The New York Times about Patel, revealing some details that raised eyebrows within the office.
Some criticized his decision to reallocate agents to participate in immigration enforcement efforts, while others criticized his use of a plane paid for with taxpayer money for personal trips for himself and his singer girlfriend.
A source said that there are fears within the office that there is a leader who is more concerned with appearances and controlling the public narrative than focusing on the investigative work necessary to solve crimes.
In May, a senior executive, who preferred to remain anonymous, told a surprising story about Patel’s insistence on conducting international covert business during a football match in the UK.
During the Five Eyes conference, in Britain with intelligence agencies from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Patel expressed his dissatisfaction with his staff at the decision to hold the meetings in an official office.
The executive told the newspaper: What he wants is social events, he wants English Premier League matches. He wants to go water skiing, he wants to go on a helicopter tour. Everyone who heard this was surprised: Is he really going to ask the director of British intelligence to go skiing instead of meeting?
He added: They cannot simply say that he will not participate when he wants to go to a Premier League football match, and that is a job, guys.
Dozens of current and former officials have shared stories and statements with The New York Times over the past year about why they lost confidence in FBI Director Kash Patel.
Some criticized Patel’s use of a plane paid for by taxpayer money for personal trips for himself and his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, which sparked widespread controversy within the office.
In planning the conference, staff said the only things that mattered to them were determining Patel’s meals, exercise times and entertainment during the trip, but the bigger plan, the executive said, was how to get his girlfriend there so she could visit Windsor Castle.
According to the report, Alexis Wilkins is considered the focus of a major controversy within the FBI.
The allegations range from overspending government funds on her security details and travel, to conspiracy theories that she is an Israeli spy trying to impose her agenda in the office through her boyfriend, all of which the duo has denied.
Wilkins was also criticized for the delayed release of the Jeffrey Epstein files last year and was considered substandard by the Americans, and current and former officials also expressed their assessment that Patel is not qualified to lead the FBI.
