▶ 0:19:36>> we have a sufficient number of people to start. Since this is going to take a wild, I think we should get started. Today, do we have enough? We have two items on our agenda.
▶ 0:20:06Kayshap patel's nomination as the director of the fbi and s3 31, the fentanyl act. The whole fentanyl act is listed on the agenda for the first time it will be held over until our next meeting. Last week a committee of democrats exercise their right under committee rules to hold patel's nomination for seven days.
▶ 0:20:36We had to honor that hold from last week. Today is the day we vote on this nominee. We all know that Mr. patel, like other nominees undergo vigorous vetting. He is no exception.
▶ 0:21:01He produced more than 1000 pages of records, disclosed over 1000 interviews. He underwent an fbi background investigation. Produced a financial disclosure and worked with ethics officials to identify and resolve potential conflicts of interest.
▶ 0:21:27At his hearing, he answered questions for more than five hours. He provided 147 pages of responses to written questions. We have examined every detail of his life and he has been subjected to relentless attacks on his character during this whole period of time. What we have learned from this committee process is what we knew from his resume.
▶ 0:22:01Mr. patel has spent his whole career fighting for righteous causes. He has been a public defender representing the accused against the power of the state. He has been a congressional staffer investigating the partisan weaponization of our legal system. He served in key national security roles protecting americans from foreign enemies.
▶ 0:22:32He has received support from former fbi agent's, former federal and state prosecutors, and organizations representing more than 600 and 80,000 law enforcement officers. Mr. patel's resume, his accomplishments and support aren't why he is the best person for the job.
▶ 0:23:08He should be considered the next fbi director because the fbi has been infected by political bias and weaponized against the american people. Mr. patel knows it. Mr. patel exposed it. Mr. patel has targeted for it. I have plenty examples to show what is wrong with the fbi. Mr. patel was instrumental in exposing crossfire hurricane.
▶ 0:23:40He showed during that investigation that the democratic national committee funded false allegations against president trump, that the department of justice and federal bureau of investigation hid information from the pfizer court -- fisa court to wiretap a presidential campaign. An fbi lawyer lied in the process.
▶ 0:24:11As a reward from his efforts to uncover this truth, he was attacked by the media and the department of justice secretly subpoenaed his record. I and my staff know a thing or two about this retaliation. My staff received a similar treatment during our investigation. Sadly, as I have said at Mr.
▶ 0:24:40Patel's hearing, crossfire hurricane is one example of recent fbi misconduct. The fbi targeted traditional catholic families and parents for political reasons. The fbi coordinated with social media platforms to suppress the hunter biden laptop scandal.
▶ 0:25:09The fbi conducted an unprecedented raid on president trump's home in an act of partisan warfare. In the last few days, we have heard unconfirmed reports that someone at the fbi may have illegally leaked information about upcoming isa raids. Putting the lives of ice agents at risk.
▶ 0:25:40If true, the detail can't be overstated. The fbi has fallen into old habits and is long overdue for massive reform. Mr. patel is the man to do it. That is why he is being attacked so viciously right now.
▶ 0:26:08Before we even had a hearing, committee members called Mr. patel by these adjectives, dishonest, untrustworthy, lacking in character, a wolf at the door, a conspiracy theorist, a staunch political loyalist. Lastly, a nightmare.
▶ 0:26:37Since his nomination was announced, committee democrats have sent at least 11 letters to 11 different agencies and parties demanding records and urging investigation into Mr. patel, each letter breathlessly accuses Mr.
▶ 0:26:54Patel of something new, often citing quote unquote highly credible anonymous sources that don't fit the facts , some accused him of not following hostage rescue protocol.
▶ 0:27:16Others suggest he is secretly directing fbi personnel decisions and some accused him of promoting conspiracy theories the purpose of this campaign is obvious. Everything at the wall and hope something sticks. I am not falling for it. I don't believe the american people will likewise.
▶ 0:27:46These attacks are unfair. This harassment unwarranted. They show Mr. patel won't receive fair consideration from the opposition and they are directed at a nominee who has served his country during both democratic and republican administrations. I expect we will hear more unfair attacks today.
▶ 0:28:18I would like to point out a few agree just ones that we have already heard. One of my colleagues suggested Mr. patel called the police officers that protected the capital on january 6 cowards in uniform. This is completely false. Anyone could listen to this same interview that he gave to hear what he actually said.
▶ 0:28:48He said senior pentagon leadership who failed to mobilize the national guard were cowards in uniform. His comments had absolutely nothing to do with the people in blue. Mr. patel has also accused -- been accused of mismanaging hostage rescue missions. Particularly one in africa.
▶ 0:29:17Numerous national security officials including general tata , who was directly involved said it is irresponsible to say he jeopardize the mission and that Mr. patel played a large role in the success of this. Mr.
▶ 0:29:46Patel has been accused of having an enemies list. Mr. patel does not call his book appendix an enemies list. He said it is not about political revenge. He believes as I believe that those who have abused their positions in government should be called out for breaking the public trust.
▶ 0:30:14It is very clear that my democrat colleagues made their minds up about Mr. patel long before he was given an opportunity to be heard. Now my colleagues attack Mr.
▶ 0:30:31Patel and demand that he come back before this committee to answer for reforms and personnel changes that the trump has begun at the fbi.
▶ 0:30:46Of course, it is outrageous to suggest that a nominee should come before the senate to answer a question for an agency's action that occurred before he gets to be the head of that agency. More importantly, fbi reforms are needed.
▶ 0:31:11The trump administration is cleaning house at the fbi because the fbi is and has been for years infected with political bias and whistleblower retaliation. I have a lot to say about that in just a minute. This is long overdue for the whistleblowers who have been affected by fbi misconduct to be given a voice.
▶ 0:31:39Now I will take some time sharing statements from whistleblowers who were retaliated against some of the fbi officials that trump has recently fired. I would like to have the white house and my republican colleagues take note of this. I think some of these people should be reinstated because of how justly they have been treated.
▶ 0:32:09You have heard me many say -- many times say whistleblowers are treated like a skunk at a picnic. I hope my democratic colleagues will learn a lesson about how the fbi has previously treated whistleblowers both under republican administrations and democrat administrations so that we don't have this happening again.
▶ 0:32:33One whistleblower said people like these have harmed the noble mission of the bureau. They have created turmoil and personal agenda has spread throughout the bureau over the last decade in service of the country, we should insist on removing them from the fbi not tomorrow but right now.
▶ 0:33:02Remember he said the last decade, that covers the presidents of both parties. A second whistleblowers said michael nord wall had oversight and approval authority over arctic frost which required a critical assessment of alleged basis for opening an investigation and political significance.
▶ 0:33:29The failure to raise an objection much less critically assist, motives alone should be grounds for dismissal. For my democrat colleagues, you have heard me talk about te have heard me talk about it for the last two years. One of the few people I have ever known that have been fired for doing things wrong. I had to point that out.
▶ 0:34:01Pay attention to this one. A third fbi whistleblowers said on january 6, 2021, I took leave and went to see the president speak on the lips. Later my wife and I were on a crowded southwest of the capital . Even though we were involved in no violence, never set foot on the steps of the leading to the capitol building. Never entered it.
▶ 0:34:32I self-reported myself presence to the fbi after seeing violence in the news report. More than a year later suspended my security clearance.
▶ 0:34:57Investigators question my coworkers on whether I ever vocalize support for president trump or objections to covid-19 vaccine. I was forced to take early requirement -- retirement to pay bills and had been sidelined from employment opportunities due to the fbi abuse of the clearance system to target me for my political beliefs.
▶ 0:35:26You will hear these names pop up here quite often. I don't know who they are. They are obviously not very good people to have in the fbi. A fourth whistleblower said as a security division, I witnessed abuses committed against multiple employees by fbi senior
▶ 0:35:57Leaders, particularly by jeff bell tree and dena perkins. I also saw a security division retaliated against five of its own employees for protesting these unlawful practices. I spoke out against these abuses.
▶ 0:36:16Perkins had suspended my security clearance, costing me my job and continuing employment totaling approximately $700,000 in lost wages and retirement benefits.
▶ 0:36:38A fifth whistleblowers said although some of my fbi leaders who abuse the clearance process have already left, they were not alone. Timothy donovan approved perkins.
▶ 0:37:01He engaged in his own while most security of division employees are fantastic, some leaders are still remaining within the security and integrity and investigation section who will continue this abuse of the process.
▶ 0:37:24From fbi whistleblower marcus allen, jeff veltri and dena perkins because the suspension of my security clearance because I questioned whether the fbi director was truthful to congress and whether the fbi was obeying the laws and constitutions in the january 6, 20 21 investigation.
▶ 0:37:50Their actions left me without paid for two years while other officials prevented me from having other income although the fbi ultimately reinstated my clearance and settled my lawsuit, my career at the fbi was over and the financial and emotional damage to me and my family will never be completely restored.
▶ 0:38:16Why should you have to hire a lawyer and sue because you used your constitutional right of free speech? Another whistleblowers said "after I was assigned to review marcus allen's security clearance case, I noticed the file was missing relatively -- I will start this quote over.
▶ 0:38:48After I was assigned to review marcus allen's security clearance case, I noticed the file was missing relative communication of jeff veltri, who ordered the opening of the case.
▶ 0:39:10Dena perkins and attorney gibbs, allen was entitled to those communications that were evidence that his clearance suspension was retaliatory. Shortly after I completed the vast majority of work recommending allen's reinstatement, the allen case was reassigned to another adjudicator.
▶ 0:39:37I was transferred to a different unit apparently for reporting the wrongdoing in the suspension. Avoiding further retaliation.
▶ 0:39:54I believe veltri, perkins, gibbs -- they were likely responsible against me.
▶ 0:40:17From fbi whistleblower garrett o'boyle, I faced retaliation from junior, mid, senior-level leaders of the fbi." more than 29 months later I am still indefinitely suspended without pay and benefits other whistleblowers have since confirmed that the fbi intentionally stranded me in the
▶ 0:40:47Middle of a move and withheld our positions to maximize the pain of my suspension. A new era of accountability and true whistleblower protection to the fbi is long overdue.
▶ 0:41:05Fbi officials like sean clark, sean fitzgerald, dena perkins, jeff veltri, jennifer moore, michael snyder, timothy dunham, other leadership up to christopher wray are responsible for what happened to me and my family ensuring they no longer worked at the fbi as a retribution, it is responsible
▶ 0:41:35Leadership. From fbi whistleblower steve friend, jacqueline mcguire was promoted to upper echelons of the fbi after sending federal agents to arrest nonviolent pro-life protests as someone who lost my career by blowing the whistle on these kinds of abuses
▶ 0:42:08And needlessly risking tactics for cooperative subjects, I was offended by her being rewarded rather than held accountable. Her dismissal is a small step towards ending the fbi's weaponization and should come sooner. From mike zumer.
▶ 0:42:38After witnessing prosecutors favor a sexual predator district attorney who use the power of his office to sexually abuse vulnerable women, I reported their wrongdoing to the presiding federal judge. Although the allegations were classified, the fbi suspended and revoked my security clearance. The U.S.
▶ 0:43:02Attorney responsible for the misconduct was named by president biden to lead the department of justice criminal investigation and the fbi special agent in charge was responsible for the retaliation against me was promoted to be the third-highest fbi official. He soon retired after he harassed a young female subordinate.
▶ 0:43:29Meanwhile I went through an eight-year year process to be reinstated only to have the biden doj affirm the fbi's revocation of mice -- my security clearance in 2024. See how removing a security clearance is a tool to retaliate and ruin people professionally?
▶ 0:43:59Lastly, I know you are tired of listening to this, from another fbi whistleblower, I have watched the fbi become an institution, not of the people but of a select few who know the system and process and use it to their advantage. Those people need to leave.
▶ 0:44:27As a whistleblower, I stand ready to help return the fbi to its earlier days of glory and return america's trust in what was an incredible institution. How could anybody listen to these statements from the fbi to know that there is a culture that is not totally in tune to what law enforcement agency
▶ 0:44:57Should do and conclude that everything is ok. These agencies are out of control, drunk on power and blinded by political infection. It is time to recognize they answer to congress and we the people. Those who retaliated against whistleblowers should be fired. I colleagues who think otherwise of protecting these whistleblowers. I hope this message gets to president trump.
▶ 0:45:29He stands up to trump. These brave whistleblowers stood up to the last administration and they suffered retaliation. Why aren't my democrat colleagues running to defend them and defending -- demanding the wrongdoers be held accountable.
▶ 0:45:51This administration must hold the bad actors accountable, fire them if necessary, give whistleblowers their security clearance back. President trump, I hope you hear that. If you could hire people, you could reinstate people, president trump. That is part of what this committee should be focused on.
▶ 0:46:18Solutions to the rampant weaponization and whistleblower retaliation. These are two issues that kayshap patel is suited to fix because he has lived those issues.
▶ 0:46:33Sen. Durbin: After reviewing kayshap patel's record I'm even more convinced he has neither the experience, judgment, or temperament to lead the fbi. 50 years ago, frank church led an effort to investigate the fbi . They came up with a sweeping reform and conclusion.
▶ 0:47:03Sen. Durbin: Congress passed a law limiting the fbi director to a single term of 10 years. Subjecting the appointment to the advice and consent of the senate. These actions were taken specifically to ensure the fbi director remains apolitical and is shielded from outside influence.
▶ 0:47:24Sen. Durbin: And that no fbi director amasses the kind of power that j edgar hoover, founder of the fbi exercised when he had wiretaps on martin luther king jr. And other civil writes leaders and branded them as communist. For the last half-century this law served its purpose. At Mr. patel's hearing one of my colleagues suggested that the consideration is shirts and skins.
▶ 0:47:57Sen. Durbin: That is clearly incorrect if you look at the record. I served on this committee for more than 20 years. During the consideration of four fbi director nominations. Each of these directors was a republican. I voted for all of them. Some game of shirts and skins. What it boils down to is this agency should be above politics.
▶ 0:48:26Sen. Durbin: What we just heard is an invitation for a political free-for-all if kayshap patel is chosen. I would not be surprised when my republican colleagues again claim despite the fact that for the last 50 years every single senate confirmed head of the fbi has been a republican.
▶ 0:48:57Sen. Durbin: Even the former director, chris wray, has been a frequent target of outrage. My republican colleagues conveniently never mentioned that director ray is a lifelong republican nominated by a republican president, donald trump and confirmed to the position with a unanimous support of senate republicans. Unanimous.
▶ 0:49:22Sen. Durbin: As a reminder, president biden kept director ray. Because he did not do his bidding, president trump forced him out and nominated Mr. patel, an unexperienced loyalist to the trump administration. It turns out he is already seeking retribution. In spite of his status as a private citizen.
▶ 0:49:52Sen. Durbin: As I revealed earlier this week, multiple whistleblowers disclose to my staff highly credible information indicating that a civilian is personally directing the ongoing purge of officials at the fbi. The ramifications of these terminations are dangerous and they go beyond his fitness for office.
▶ 0:50:16Sen. Durbin: This purge has greatly weakened the ability to protect the country from national security threats and made america less safe. This weekend we invited the head of the organization that represents fbi agent to come to my office and talk to me about the morale of the fbi. Two women came and visited with me. Both of them served as agents for long periods of time.
▶ 0:50:45Sen. Durbin: They both were proud to tell me their fathers were fbi agent before them. They had never seen this kind of thing happen. The transition of one president to another. There is only one person as political at the fbi, the director. All of the others are professional and career employees.
▶ 0:51:14Sen. Durbin: One political person, now there has been a request to produce the agencies who worked on the january 6 insurrection mob. Think about that for a second. 38,000 employees at the fbi, how many do you think worked on that case? 5000 names.
▶ 0:51:43Sen. Durbin: It is understandable these fbi agents are worried. The people who are engaged in mob action on the capitol, many of them were dangerous people despite the full pardon given to them. Let me tell you about one of them. If you question whether the agency should be reluctant to have their identities and identities of their families made public. He was the first defendant to stand trial on charges related to january 6.
▶ 0:52:13Sen. Durbin: Sentenced to 87 months in prison for bringing a firearm into the capital that day. His 19-year-old son turned him in. Jackson also indicated he threatened to shoot him personally and his sister if they reported him to authorities. After receiving a pardon, he attended kayshap patel's senate committee hearing in this room.
▶ 0:52:45Sen. Durbin: He posted on social media, the following. Present and in support of cash out -- kayshap patel continues to spew lies. My nhan clean house -- my man, clean house cash. We are inviting a political disaster.
▶ 0:53:10Sen. Durbin: Could you imagine having worked for the fbi all of your life, taking the oath that you are ready to give your life, be involved in all of the assignment that you were assigned to and then comes a new president, donald trump and wants to see the names on the people involved in the january 6 investigation. The largest criminal investigation in the history of the united states. I think this is outrageous.
▶ 0:53:41Sen. Durbin: If we have respect for these agents, show it. This political warfare that has been described this morning is to the detriment of the men and women risking their lives. We have a list here of six executive assistant directors who have been purged already. I asked the fbi agent's, has this ever happened before with a new president? No, has never happened before.
▶ 0:54:13Sen. Durbin: These are top fbi officials who oversaw the fbi's work, cyber crime, drug -- drug trafficking, and violent crime. In the long history, this has never happened before. One political appointee, the director, all of his career. The leaders have been forced out of all officials who have worked ways out of the ranks.
▶ 0:54:42Sen. Durbin: That is only the beginning apparently acting at Mr. patel's direction has asked for a list of fbi personnel who worked on any manners related to the january 6 attack. He is the transition leader, he was for the trump administration .
▶ 0:55:08Sen. Durbin: Meanwhile, 1600, including one of the individuals I just described to you defendants who were given blanket pardons by trump are on the loose. The man who brought the gun into the capital. Blanket pardon by donald trump. Now they want a full disclosure of the names of the fbi agent involved in this case.
▶ 0:55:33Sen. Durbin: It is outrageous that these sworn agents doing the jobs assigned to them now fear for their livelihoods, and the safety of their families. It is unacceptable for a nominee to justify the potentially illegal firing of nonpartisan fbi officials. If they are true, Mr. patel has become dangerously close to perjury before this committee. Why do I say that?
▶ 0:56:05Sen. Durbin: During the hearing when asked about the determinations of the fbi, Mr. patel said I don't know what is going on right now. Mr. patel seems to be unable to wait for confirmation to carry out his plan on behalf of president trump. This is a private citizen with no role in government allegedly having baseless firings and then misleading this committee about his actions.
▶ 0:56:37Sen. Durbin: Given the serious nature of these allegations I would ask the doj inspector general to investigate. I urge my colleagues to take these allegations seriously. I know you want to be loyal, vote for all of his nominations. None of you want a call from elon musk morning you what you might do if you vote the wrong way. This gets down to the heart of the agency and security of this nation. This is not the only time Mr.
▶ 0:57:08Sen. Durbin: Patel has done this under oath. He told me he could not recall the name stu peters, the anti-semitic holocaust denier. He said I cannot recall his name. This is simply not credible considering Mr. patel appeared on his podcast eight times. Couldn't pick the name out. Stu peters? I don't think I know that name.
▶ 0:57:40Sen. Durbin: Eight times. He has since revealed that he and Mr. patel directly communicate with their personal cell phones, constantly. Stu peters? Say that name again? Don't recognize it. He also claimed he didn't have anything to do with the recording of the so-called january 6 prison choir.
▶ 0:58:04Sen. Durbin: Those who were convicted of assaulting people and trespassing on the united states capital. Here's what he told steve bannon, "we got this idea to record the january 6 prisoners who recite the national anthem every night from the D.C. prison and we took that to the studio so we digitized it. He said he had nothing to do with it under oath. Mr. patel has demonstrated a lack of judgment by associating with extremist views like Mr.
▶ 0:58:37Sen. Durbin: Peters who have well-documented histories of racist, anti-semitic statements. Now, somehow, my colleagues on the other side are silent. He clearly lacks the temperament to lead the fbi. Read his own words. I wonder if any of my republican colleagues accepted my invitation to read this book. Government gangsters. In this book, Mr.
▶ 0:59:04Sen. Durbin: Patel published an enemies list of 16 people of the deep state, in the cases of being corrupt actors of the first order. This includes many distinguished public servants. Democrats and republicans alike. What they shared is the misfortune of having a past with patel.
▶ 0:59:32Sen. Durbin: I will highlight and many of the people on the panel knowing, bob moeller. He is an extraordinary man. He's a republican, I voted for him to be director of fbi. He finished his college career and enlisted in the marine corps . He received a purple heart and a bronze star for his combat duty.
▶ 0:59:56Sen. Durbin: Came back, worked as a prosecutor, worked his way up and became the director of the fbi. He took over days after 9/11. I worked for him for years. We should all expect him for -- now he's on the enemies list of kayshap patel. He has called democrats vindictive, people, vicious.
▶ 1:00:29Sen. Durbin: And then there is a social media post repeatedly attacking republican senators for not voting right. During the previous administration my republican colleagues were outraged by social media posts. 30 years ago disqualifying him -- be careful.
▶ 1:01:00Sen. Durbin: Where is the outrage now for Mr. patel who has launched disgusting attacks on everyone from elon musk to lebron james. He has displayed a startling disdain for the agency he has been nominated to lead. He wants to shut down the fbi uber building on day one. He falsely claimed that the fbi before it happened.
▶ 1:01:33Sen. Durbin: He cannot stop. He has been clear about what he wants to do about the vast surveillance. We will come after the people in the media he has been open about his plans, he has begun that mission as a private citizen targeting senior fbi officials. Consider for a moment if he is successful.
▶ 1:02:03Sen. Durbin: His first meeting as head of the fbi with the men and women who were sworn to uphold the law and serve at his direction, think about the morale in that room. Mr. patel and his directives have already thrown the bureau into chaos. Hundreds of years have been forced out. They are living in fear of losing their jobs simply because they did a job they were assigned to do.
▶ 1:02:35Sen. Durbin: How does any of this make america safer. They focused on keeping the public safe from terrorism, drug trafficking, violent crime, not petty personal grievances. I yield.
▶ 1:02:48Chair Grassley: Thank you. Senator whitehouse.
▶ 1:02:52Sen. Whitehouse: Let me start by disagreeing with the notion that what took place with respect to the cases against president trump was weaponization. I know that is the republican theory of the case. The other reason why the fbi and department of justice would investigate trump for crimes is because trump was doing crimes.
▶ 1:03:25Sen. Whitehouse: There was adequate predication to pursue investigation of those crimes. Indeed in every case that I am aware of in which those cases were allowed to go to judgment, the president was convicted.
▶ 1:03:48Sen. Whitehouse: We can't allow the weaponization narrative to remove the notion that the guy was investigated and prosecuted for crimes. Once you start with the notion that trump is not a criminal but a victim, you have to invent the conspiracy that victimized him.
▶ 1:04:11Sen. Whitehouse: Once you have propagated that conspiracy, you have to find who the conspirators are. You have to go after fbi agent's. In order to prop up that theory. The way it ended in soviet russia was with trials of the individuals who were allegedly in the conspiracy.
▶ 1:04:41Sen. Whitehouse: The way that ends in trump's america is with agents and prosecutors forced out in mass purges that may well as ranking member durbin has pointed out has been driven by cash patel. There are three reasons why kashyap patel is dangerous. His wild maga behavior.
▶ 1:05:12Sen. Whitehouse: It is appallingly bad. We have a lot of quarrel about whether his enemies list is an enemies list and whether we are smearing the guy is his enemies list. Here's what he said, he showed his enemies list and said the manhunt starts tomorrow. If they are not your enemies, why would you start a manhunt against them. He called them the criminals himself and showed a picture.
▶ 1:05:45Sen. Whitehouse: Criminals aren't your enemies as head of the fbi, who are? He retweeted a video showing him chain sawing the heads of people on his enemies list. If you are chain signed the heads off of people, are they not your enemies? It requires people to go into just fantasyland.
▶ 1:06:13Sen. Whitehouse: These aren't our accusations, these are patel's own words. Going after people in the media, impeaching judges. Shutting down the fbi hoover building. On and on. Appallingly bad judgment. Second point, we don't know about this mischief yet.
▶ 1:06:44Sen. Whitehouse: We have never had a person come for a senior law enforcement position who had testified in a grand jury criminal manner and we don't know what he testified about. He's entitled to tell is that is basic grand jury rules. This side of the committee is completely covering it up. We have no statement from patel about what his grand jury testimony was.
▶ 1:07:20Sen. Whitehouse: He fled the fifth. You don't get to plead the fifth without a real and genuine concern that you could be prosecuted for a crime. We are entitled to know. We have never had somebody come through a high law enforcement position who had fled the fifth. He has the right to do that of course. We have the right to know.
▶ 1:07:48Sen. Whitehouse: When he exercises the right to do that in his civil proceeding. That entitles the jury to draw the inference that what he's covering up in the civil proceeding is against his interest, a judge will instructed jury and we are not supposed to draw an adverse interest when we are not told about his fifth amendment assertion.
▶ 1:08:14Sen. Whitehouse: All of this weird stuff has come up about chinese companies, the cayman islands, while he would be fbi director. If the guy is supposed to be investigating chinese intrusion into our intelligence faculties, investigating chinese fentanyl trafficking.
▶ 1:08:35Sen. Whitehouse: Why do we want and fbi director who is somewhere between one million dollars and $5 million into a chinese company through a cayman islands shell. And then there are the russia connections. Everybody is fond of saying these are democratics. Go to the trump appointees that worked with this guy.
▶ 1:09:05Sen. Whitehouse: I didn't think he was qualified, I was forced to hire bolton. That is some recommendation from a colleague. His deputy, patel's ideas are ludicrous. He is on trustworthy and an absolute disgrace to consider an individual of this nature. Definitely you want that on this resume from a former supervisor.
▶ 1:09:32Sen. Whitehouse: Attorney general barr said patel has virtually no experience to qualify him to be the deputy director and now he is back as the director of the fbi. Trumps cia director threatened to resign rather than allow this guy into her office as her deputy. If you go beyond the trump appointees warning us about this guy, you could go to the last time he testified in court in colorado.
▶ 1:10:03Sen. Whitehouse: Here is what the court found out about him. His testimony was completely devoid of any evidence in the record. I have been am attorney general and united states attorney, I have put state troopers on the stand, if at the end of a case a judge made findings like this about a law enforcement witness I put on the stand, there would be follow-up.
▶ 1:10:30Sen. Whitehouse: I would want an explanation of why this witness was so incredible that findings were made by the judge. It would be a significant issue with respect to that witness continued performance in office. Here is a guy who is found to be completely not credible in his testimony and we are acting as if that's nothing. That is not democrats. That is a judge in colorado.
▶ 1:11:01Sen. Whitehouse: The last thing I will say is I think we need to begin to prepare ourselves for trump -russia 2.0. The trump-russia thing, I will not go back over it. It was fully ventilated in the mueller report, it was a thing. Trump kept talking about it, saying it was a hoax.
▶ 1:11:34Sen. Whitehouse: There is a record, part of it was bipartisan work. Some of it was done in the house. An abundance of evidence about the connection. Now what are we seeing? We are seeing patel coming in saying he wants to wreck the fbi's intel shop. Part of the fbi that looks at russia encounters intelligence work. He wants to close out the D.C.
▶ 1:12:04Sen. Whitehouse: Office and send everybody out into the field. You want to shut it down? You are opening your arms to russian intelligence operations. It is going across to the attorney general's office, what's the first thing she does when she gets in? Closes all of the kleptocracy investigations at the department of justice. Who were they pursuing?
▶ 1:12:35Sen. Whitehouse: Proven and his oligarchs. It has successfully grabbed assets off the crooked oligarchs. What a signal that is. Look at tulsa gabbard. I will not go through the length of her russia associations.
▶ 1:13:00Sen. Whitehouse: Her appointment would cause the cia and fbi to tremble because she was a friend to russia. Who defends us against criminal operations? It is the fbi, department of justice, the people in charge of each one have sent powerful signals that they are shutting down our defenses when it comes to russia.
▶ 1:13:32Sen. Whitehouse: We are seeing Mr. art of the deal and his operatives giving away every piece that we have over putin with respect to ukraine. Mark my words. This patel guy will come back to haunt you.
▶ 1:14:00Sen. Whitehouse: Every piece of evidence shows that. It is his own colleagues, it is judges evaluating its credibility. Trump russia will come roaring back. It is on our guard about this nominee. We should be on our guard about trump russia, thank you.
▶ 1:14:24Chair Grassley: Senator klobuchar.
▶ 1:14:29Sen. Klobuchar: I oppose the nomination of kash patel to serve as the next director of the fbi. The director of the fbi leads the most important long oarsman agent the made up of more than 38,000 employees. I have tremendous respect for the men and women of thethey ta. They get fentanyl off of our streets.
▶ 1:14:57Sen. Klobuchar: In our state they have investigated incredibly complex matters, including a case a few years back that was the biggest white collar case outside of made off for years. They have done such a good job and we are proud of them. I have supported fbi directors under republican presidents, including president trump's last nominee, and the democratic presidents.
▶ 1:15:23Sen. Klobuchar: The nonpartisan career public servants at the fbi risked their lives to keep us safe. Their motto, fbi, banality, bravery, and integrity. They deserve a director that respects the work they do and embodies the core values of the fbi. That unfortunately is not cash patel. Let's start with fidelity.
▶ 1:15:51Sen. Klobuchar: A director's loyalty to the american people, constitution, and rule of law is paramount. Mr. patel made it abundantly clear that he is loyal to the president, and that is his cause for retribution when you look back at Mr. patel's writings, his interviews, what he has done in his life. Mr. patel has threatened the president's critics.
▶ 1:16:21Sen. Klobuchar: He said, I quote his words not just in the government but in the media, end quote. On one podcast in 2023 he said, and I quote, we will come after you, criminally or civilly. On our -- on a podcast last august, sometimes we have writings or interviews that are 10 to 15 years ago and these are all recent.
▶ 1:16:52Sen. Klobuchar: Just this last august. He said when trump wins in 2024 and is in power in 2025, we can prosecute them referring to the justice department officials. When I asked him about him in my written questions, he replied about that comment that "he made those comments in a television interview, not in a court of law or before the committee." as if the venue minimizes the threat.
▶ 1:17:21Sen. Klobuchar: In fact, at his hearing before this committee he had the opportunity to walk back that threat and others. He chose not to. Nor did he try to explain his so-called state lis -- deep state list of former government officials including many republicans who served in the last trump administration, including attorney general barr who republicans on this committee have repeatedly commended for his service.
▶ 1:17:47Sen. Klobuchar: But he is on, barr is on, kash patel's deep state list. Including the former head veterans affairs, dennis mcdonough. I remind our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that bill barr said about patel this.
▶ 1:18:10Sen. Klobuchar: Patel has virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world's preeminent law enforcement agency, and his appointment to the fbi, he said a few years back when patel was being considered for another job in the fbi, his appointment to the fbi would only happen, barr' s words, over his dead body.
▶ 1:18:34Sen. Klobuchar: Then-cia director gina haspel threatened to resign to stop patel from being her deputy. These and others who criticized him over time are people who have served our country. I didn't always agree with some of them, some are democrats and some are republicans, but they repeatedly said the same thing. That he should not be running the fbi. We know what Mr.
▶ 1:19:00Sen. Klobuchar: Patel wants to do to the people on the list because he already told us. On another podcast episode he said that the people on his list need to go to prison. That is a shocking statement from someone who may he the next head of the fbi. It is not just government officials but the press as well. As you know, Mr. chairman, I care deeply about an independent press in the first amendment. Mr.
▶ 1:19:28Sen. Klobuchar: Patel has referred to the media as "the most powerful enemy the united states has ever seen." he didn't even say that one on a podcast. He said it at a speech at the conservative political action conference on february 23, 2024. Think about that. He is saying that the press, many here standing up for the first amendment, he said that the press is the most powerful enemy the united states has ever had. Not china.
▶ 1:20:00Sen. Klobuchar: Not russia. Not iran. Not terrorists. He says the most powerful enemy is the press. I would ask my colleagues how they can justify voting for this man who would say such a thing as the director of the fbi that constantly deals with domestic threats that come from afar and come from people who are, in fact, affiliated with terrorist groups in these countries? How do we know Mr.
▶ 1:20:29Sen. Klobuchar: Patel will carry out the revenge agenda? It is already occurring. At his hearing Mr. patel said "all fbi employees will be protected against political retribution." mere hours after those remarks the administration forced out eight of the fbi's most career public servants in nonpartisan roles.
▶ 1:20:56Sen. Klobuchar: A list was sent to fbi employees for a list of everyone who worked on january 6 cases to determine if any additional personnel actions are necessary. That is there quote. Think about that. Thousands of agents, may be people who just joined the fbi, are asked to work on a case. Anyone in a workplace knows what I'm talking about. In this case, if you're affiliated with any kind of case that Mr.
▶ 1:21:25Sen. Klobuchar: Patel didn't like in the past, well then, you need to be on some list. They get assigned to a case because of violent felony occurred on january 6. Everyone in this room who was there knows exactly what I'm talking about. People insulted police officers. And now, those agents who were simply doing their job, find themselves on a list for personnel action. That's not right.
▶ 1:21:54Sen. Klobuchar: That will not make americans safe. That will destroy the federal bureau of investigation. This is not fidelity to the constitution. This is not fidelity to the law and law enforcement. It is an affront to it. That is fidelity. Second, bravery. We know that capitol police showed bravery far and above the call of duty on january 6, 2021.
▶ 1:22:22Sen. Klobuchar: Every member on this committee has talked about the fact that the police officers protected us and were brave. Rather than recognize the officers' bravery, Mr. patel accused those who testified come officers on january 6, flying. When asked if capitol police officers told the truth in the january 6 committee hearings, Mr.
▶ 1:22:43Sen. Klobuchar: Patel said, "no, and lying under oath is a federal offense and they should be investigated for it." yet he claimed at his hearing that this was not accurate. We have it on tape. It is literally on youtube. You know who else exemplifies bravery? The men and women at the fbi who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.
▶ 1:23:12Sen. Klobuchar: What does kash patel think of these public servants? "the fbi has become so thoroughly compromise that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken. " he called the men and women who keep us safe utterly corrupt and called for a "comprehensive housekeeping" of the fbi. That is his book page 73 and 85.
▶ 1:23:44Sen. Klobuchar: He also called for shutting down the fbi headquarters. You know what happens at that headquarters? That's where they coordinate the investigation of complex cases, including terrorism and cyber crime. It happened on the sean ryan show, nine-to-2022.
▶ 1:24:08Sen. Klobuchar: Under christopher wray's leadership, the morale of the agents and peronn -- and personnel have improved significantly. Three times as many people are applying to the fbi under christopher wray's leadership and when he started. Three times the number. How can you say that there is some horrible corruption? People actually want to go work there. They want to be an fbi agent. They think that it's the job of public service that is an honorable job.
▶ 1:24:40Sen. Klobuchar: I don't think that the fbi is a threat to the people or utterly corrupt, as kashyap patel has said. I don't think our republican colleagues believe that either. I think that they admire the people who work at the fbi. The men and women of the fbi show us every day what it means to embody bravery, and we need to show them that we can be brave as well and tell the president no.
▶ 1:25:09Sen. Klobuchar: If our colleagues on the republican side in this committee won't join us in just saying no one time to the president, maybe some of them will join us in the greater senate body on the floor. That brings us to integrity. Fbi. The fbi runs on facts, on truth. Without truth the whole system breaks down. Mr.
▶ 1:25:34Sen. Klobuchar: Patel in his hearing made abundantly clear why this nation should be so concerned about putting someone in this job in whom there is such a lack of trust. Mr. patel didn't even have the integrity to stand by his own words to this committee. His own words. Repeatedly I asked about these statements. Only onl -- own them, man.
▶ 1:26:05Sen. Klobuchar: I believe we should shut down the fbi headquarters. These are things that he said. Not 10 years ago, not when he was a student, in the last year. Instead of disavowing the explanations for reckless past statements, kashyap patel repeatedly misled this committee, dodged questions, and claimed ignorance, despite the fact that all of his statements are on the record for all of us to see. How can we have an fbi director who doesn't even remember what he said six month ago?
▶ 1:26:34Sen. Klobuchar: The director of our nation's most powerful law enforcement agency must be forthright and trustworthy. He must follow the facts and carefully analyze evidence before drawing conclusions. Mr. patel has made clear that his allegiance is not to the truth. He has put ideology and his loyalty to donald trump ahead of the facts. Mr. chairman, independent of the fbi from the white house is critical.
▶ 1:27:05Sen. Klobuchar: The fbi director has immense power to direct surveillance, investigate american citizens, and recommend when charges be brought. The next director's loyalty must be to the people and not the president. Even if someone was to put in someone who is their friend, which has happened in these jobs in the past, why would you pick this person? Who has repeatedly maligned the agents who work at the fbi?
▶ 1:27:35Sen. Klobuchar: Why would you pick someone who, in the last year, decided to make money off of hocking a supplement that he claimed would reverse the effects of the covid vaccine? Why would you put someone in place who thinks that it's fun to say that you should close down the headquarters and has put together a list of people that he hates that he says that he wants to take revenge on? Why would you pick that person of all of the people you could pick for this office that maybe you know or have worked with before?
▶ 1:28:07Sen. Klobuchar: Donald trump picked this person. I think we know why. The fact is, federal law enforcement and the american people deserve a director who embodies the bureau's motto. Fidelity, bravery, integrity. The men and women of the fbi deserve better than this nominee. I ask our republican colleagues to stand up for the agents that work there and stand up and say no once.
▶ 1:28:42Chair Grassley: I will call in senator blackburn. >> I am speaking today on why I will vote against kashyap patel as the nominee to be the director of the fbi. The fbi, as my colleagues have spoken to at length, is one of the most important, powerful, and respected law enforcement agencies.
▶ 1:29:05Chair Grassley: The tens of thousands of agents who serve us across our nation are a key bulwark against terrorism, against extremism, against crimes that range from the theft of intellectual property to interstate gangs that carry out human trafficking or murder for hire. The fbi is an absolutely critical part of our nation security and it rests on trust. It rests on having an independent leader.
▶ 1:29:32Chair Grassley: Back to the dark days of jed to hoover being -- of j edgar hoover being a compromised fbi leader. Since his tenure ended we have engaged in a disciplined balanced process to confirm fbi directors for a long 10-year terms. I voted for republican nominees put forward by republican presidents.
▶ 1:29:57Chair Grassley: We need, as the director of the fbi, someone who will stand up for the men and women of this incredible law enforcement agency. In his testimony before this committee, and in his comments and actions before coming before this committee, kashyap patel has shown that he's not that leader. He has actively undermined the bureau that he seeks to lead.
▶ 1:30:20Chair Grassley: As someone who is the cochair of the law enforcement caucus and who spent years leading, supervising, responsible for the second law enforcement agency in my state -- I see him willing to do the bidding of a vengeful white house.
▶ 1:30:40Chair Grassley: You heard from senator durbin that whistleblowers are alleging that he has already helped to orchestrate the purge of the most senior leadership of the fbi as well as those agents who were simply doing their job as assigned to them. To carry out january 6 investigations. This purge is only the start of what I fear is about to come.
▶ 1:30:58Chair Grassley: The fbi has demanded -- excuse me, the administration has demanded the fbi turnover a list of its newest recruits and employees pushed out of the washington field office and other top leadership, and is getting roles to folks who lack the relevant professional experience. The fbi needs independence. Mr. patel told me when I asked him that he believes that the fbi works for the white house.
▶ 1:31:25Chair Grassley: I asked that same question of several other recent nominees and they gave the correct answer. That federal law enforcement, the department of justice or the fbi, works for the constitution and the american people. The fbi doesn't work for the white house. It works for all of us. Attorney general pam bondi got that question right. Todd blanche and gail slater got that question right yesterday. How is it that kashyap patel flunked the easiest and most central question?
▶ 1:31:54Chair Grassley: Not just to whom do you report but to whom do you serve? As I said, we've seen what a dark chapter can be when the fbi is led by someone who is politically connected and by whom he politically corrupts the goals and purpose of the fbi. I fear that were heading into one of those chapters again. As I questioned him during his confirmation hearing, I asked Mr.
▶ 1:32:20Chair Grassley: Patel if he, like his predecessors, would be willing to resign rather than take an unconstitutional or illegal action by the president. He refused to answer. I asked if he would resign if president trump asked him to go after a political enemy. He refused to answer that question. I asked if he would resign if the president asked him to block an investigation due to political considerations and he refused to answer.
▶ 1:32:48Chair Grassley: These are questions I asked of directors call me and -- of director connie and director ray and they answered. If you refuses to answer these questions rooted in recent developments and his repeated public statements, questions that his predecessors have answered clearly, forcefully, and appropriately, how can we trust him to lead the fbi?
▶ 1:33:11Chair Grassley: I implore my republican colleagues to reconsider the step I believe they are about to take to confirm this man to lead one of our most important elements of our law enforcement community. Around the world, our security depends on trust and reliability. The national security role of the fbi director, the ways in which our fbi is critical to the work of our intelligence community and our military and others overseas as they work to keep us safe cannot be overlooked.
▶ 1:33:42Chair Grassley: The men and women of the fbi deserve better than kashyap patel. To lead an agency whose watchwords are fidelity, bravery, and integrity, we need someone who demonstrated their commitment to all three. Americans deserve better than kashyap patel.
▶ 1:34:00Chair Grassley: Senator? I was told no republicans wanted to talk. You are next. Senator durbin, go ahead. Then I will call on the senator from connecticut.
▶ 1:34:21Sen. Durbin: I would like to enter this letter of opposition from the society of the rule of law institute describing themselves as a group of conservative lawyers and jurists who have served at the highest levels of government in previous republican administrations including peter keesler, the cofounder of the federalist society and acting attorney general during the george w. Bush administration.
▶ 1:34:45Chair Grassley: Without objection they will be placed in the record. No objection heard. Go ahead, senator from connecticut. >> thank, Mr. chairman. I want to begin on a positive note and take advantage of the chairman's reference to whistleblowers and our mutual support over the years for them.
▶ 1:35:10Chair Grassley: I hope that the chairman will join me, along with other members of the committee, when we introduce, or reintroduce, the congressional whistleblower protection act. The measure would expand the protections that are afforded to whistleblowers at a time when we have never needed the more. -- needed them more.
▶ 1:35:35Chair Grassley: We will reintroduce it, I hope with the support of my colleagues on the committee who have joined me previously. Senator hirono, klobuchar, padi lla, and whitehouse, as well as other colleagues like cortez masto, wyden, markey, and tammy baldwin.
▶ 1:36:01Chair Grassley: This measure is an important one and I hope that the chairman will join us, join me, because he has been a champion in the past of whistleblower protection , and the amount of protection must be expanded so that these truth tellers will have the safeguards needed to assure them that there will be no retaliation against them.
▶ 1:36:28Chair Grassley: On that note, I want to begin to personally talk about the fbi. First, to say thank you to all of the fbi agents. There are 17,000 special agents out there right now. A total of 38,000 civil servants in the fbi.
▶ 1:36:49Chair Grassley: They are probably not listening to what we are saying here, because they are looking into international and domestic terrorism, cyber criminal syndicates, foreign espionage, organized criminal enterprises including drug cartels, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking. I have not been without criticism of the fbi.
▶ 1:37:20Chair Grassley: The chairman has said that there is a need for reform. I'm betting members of the fbi would join in saying there is always room for improvement. But it should not be by someone who vilifies the fbi, as kashyap patel has done.
▶ 1:37:45Chair Grassley: He has said about the fbi that it is a powerful and cunning part of the deep state. Someone who begins with that kind of antagonism and hostility to the fbi will not be able to engage in positive and constructive reform. I worked with agents of the fbi since I was U.S. attorney.
▶ 1:38:14Chair Grassley: I will never forget the agent who sat with me at counsel table as I tried my first criminal case, practically carrying me through the presentation of evidence and the rules of federal procedure, which he knew as well as I did.
▶ 1:38:35Chair Grassley: The fbi is a premier law enforcement institution for our country, and we should seek to enhance it. Improve it. But not slash and crash it, which is what kashyap patel seems to want to do. A lot has been mentioned about what kashyap patel refused to answer.
▶ 1:39:07Chair Grassley: I want to go to what he very clearly did answer, which is he committed, in response to my question that there would be no retribution against any fbi agent, no mass firing, and no purging of leadership.
▶ 1:39:33Chair Grassley: Now we have reliable information from whistleblowers submitted in a letter by senator durbin to the chairman that in fact he has been covertly and personally directing a purge of senior leadership and nonpolitical agents simply because they were assigned to investigate criminal wrongdoing. In direct contradiction of the commitments he made to us.
▶ 1:40:05Chair Grassley: Not just to me but to this committee. That is one of the reasons why I have urged that the chairman call him back. Give him a chance to explain that kind of contradiction.
▶ 1:40:22Chair Grassley: What we are left with is a record that shows that he, in effect, wants to turn the fbi into a sycophantic goon squad that would crush political opposition, go after an enemies list. Of course he calls them government gangsters, not an enemies list.
▶ 1:40:49Chair Grassley: Let me warn members of this committee who are critical of kash patel, we will be on that list and he has the power to investigate anyone who is critical of him. He said there should be a manhunt for those government gangsters.
▶ 1:41:08Chair Grassley: He has telegraphed very clearly how he would use the fbi and the more so if he is independent of the white house and of the department of justice, as clearly he envisions his role to be. He will be an unrestrained, unguided missile against the integrity of the department of justice and our justice system.
▶ 1:41:42Chair Grassley: The work of the fbi is essential to judgment and integrity. Kash patel lacks those two key qualities. He has trafficked in conspiracy theories.
▶ 1:42:00Chair Grassley: He agrees with "a lot of what qanon says." he engages in election the -- election denialism, refusing to say president biden won the election. He has glorified the january 6 rioters, calling them political prisoners. Even the rioters who attacked capitol police.
▶ 1:42:30Chair Grassley: He produced a song with the so-called j6 choir, individuals in prison for having attacked police officers.
▶ 1:42:45Chair Grassley: He tried to deny that he produced the song at his nomination hearing in response to my question saying, "I didn't have anything to do with the recording." in response to my questions for the record, he acknowledged that he is one of the producers of the song. He couldn't have denied it, because he boasted about it on a podcast. How could he have nothing to do with the recording if he is one of the producers?
▶ 1:43:16Chair Grassley: Let's just be very direct. He was less than truthful to this committee about his role because he knew that his actions amplified and glorified the cause of violent criminals who attacked police would be an embarrassing obstacle to his confirmation. Only one of the ways that he experienced a confirmation conversion.
▶ 1:43:45Chair Grassley: Looking at the members of that j6 choir, you can understand why he wanted to disavow any connection with them. Julian cater, who pepper spray the U.S. capitol police officers, officer brian sicknick who died the next day. Brian nichols who pushed the crowd against officers defending the capital and sprayed officers with pepper spray.
▶ 1:44:10Chair Grassley: James mcgrew, who pushed and struck officers and launched a handrail at them. Political prisoners? Worthy of glorification? Not by the future director of the fbi, certainly.
▶ 1:44:31Chair Grassley: Kash patel has certainly shown that he is vindictive, focusing on seeking revenge rather than keeping america safe. The enemies list is only one of the ways that he may well seek retribution against his opponents. Going after president trump's political enemies is clearly on this administration's agenda.
▶ 1:45:02Chair Grassley: A priority. Look at what pam bondi did on day one, ordering the creation of a so-called weaponization working group. They weaponization working group. Specifically named people who would be investigating. Jack smith, letitia james, alvin bragg. They have led legitimate prosecutions and lawsuits against donald trump.
▶ 1:45:33Chair Grassley: That is the true weaponization of doj and the fbi and something that must be stopped right away. Now is the time to do it, with this nomination. Stop retribution and revenge in the department of justice. It's a priority and modus operandi and to send a message that it will be tolerated. Kash patel is out for himself.
▶ 1:46:02Chair Grassley: Even if it means putting other people's lives in danger. Whistleblowers have said that kash patel broke protocol during a hostage rescue mission, leaking details to the press before the hostages were safe in american custody.
▶ 1:46:20Chair Grassley: During a different hostage rescue mission, former defense secretary mark esper said that kash patel lied about receiving permission from the nigerian government to enter their airspace. This kind of carelessness could have cost those navy seal hostage rescuers to be shot down.
▶ 1:46:43Chair Grassley: He is not to be trusted with the nation's most important secrets or with the most important law enforcement agency of our nation. Kash patel pled the fifth in a case about donald trump's handling of classified documents . He is entitled to plead the fifth amendment.
▶ 1:47:12Chair Grassley: He eventually testified after prosecutors granted him limited immunity. He is not entitled to deny us the truth of what he told the grand jury as part of this confirmation proceeding. He had the ability, legal and physical, to tell us what he told the grand jury.
▶ 1:47:33Chair Grassley: We all know, all of us who have prosecuted, that grand jury witnesses are told, you can talk about it if you wish. Sometimes they are discouraged from talking about their testimony, but they have the legal right to do so. He had the legal right to tell us about his testimony, but he refused to do it.
▶ 1:47:59Chair Grassley: He aided us only marginally in seeking that grand jury testimony, which I still feel we need to see along with the second volume of the jack smith report. I want to close by saying that we have a pretty good idea but the outcome will be today, and I am appalled that my republican
▶ 1:48:32Chair Grassley: Colleagues are prepared to confirm a man so publicly hostile to the agency, its people, its goals, its mission that he intends to lead. We have a responsibility here. Willful ignorance and supportive kash patel will turn the fbi, potentially, into a sycophantic goon squad ready to crush political opposition instead of the independent law enforcement
▶ 1:49:02Chair Grassley: Agency that the nation needs and deserves. These votes will haunt my republican colleagues. They will come back to haunt them when kash patel does even a fraction of what we have warned about his doing, and the american people should hold them
▶ 1:49:33Chair Grassley: Accountable. Thank you, Mr. chairman. [indiscernible] >> thank, Mr. chairman. Thank you for the time to speak in favor of kash patel.
▶ 1:50:04Chair Grassley: As I've listened to my democratic colleagues and their comments this morning, you can hear the anger and displeasure with having kash patel before us. I think it's important to realize why kash patel is there and why president trump chose to nominate kash patel.
▶ 1:50:28Chair Grassley: The american people are sick and tired of two tiers of access, two tiers of treatment, and two tiers of justice. During the biden years, this was writ large in the actions of the doj and fbi. We have all seen it.
▶ 1:50:49Chair Grassley: While my colleagues may be upset for today, I think it's important to note that they sat silently while you had parents and people of faith and so many that were being confronted, and this happened over and over and over.
▶ 1:51:14Chair Grassley: I know they are trying to stall and obstruct, but it's important to note that the american people on november 5 voted to seek change. They want transparency and accountability. They want the end of two tiers of justice. They want to restore faith in our american institutions.
▶ 1:51:45Chair Grassley: Pam bondi, who is our attorney general, has been mentioned several times this morning. She is going about aggressively restoring confidence and sending that message that the rule of law matters. The rule of law matters. There is an expectation that people will abide by the rule of law.
▶ 1:52:10Chair Grassley: Kash patel will work with her in restoring that confidence, that rule of law, rooting out the two-tier system of justice that the american people have witnessed. When Mr.
▶ 1:52:28Chair Grassley: Patel was before us, before I started my questioning I asked him a question that came from listening to my democratic colleagues as they were questioning him. It was, why do the democrats fear him? Why do they fear him? I think the answer is so very apparent. They fear him because, yes, indeed he is out-of-the-box.
▶ 1:53:01Chair Grassley: They fear him because of what he knows about russia collusion. What he knows about some of the activity that has taken place. And they fear him because he is going to return the fbi to its core mission. Investigating violent crimes and keeping our nation safe.
▶ 1:53:32Chair Grassley: I'm pleased that he is going to focus on violent crime. We know that under president trump violent crime was down 17%. This is important to us in tennessee. In memphis, we've had quite an issue with violent crime. Much of it caused by a lack of attention to prosecuting some of these gang members.
▶ 1:54:01Chair Grassley: There is the soros-backed da in memphis that will not push these cases through. Violent crime under joe biden was up 43% in his first year. It's imperative that the fbi go back to investigating these crimes and go back to the trial policy -- of the trump policy of investigating and prosecuting these criminals and bringing that transparency back to the
▶ 1:54:34Chair Grassley: Justice system. I'm so pleased that we are moving forward with him today. I'm also pleased, Mr. chairman, that he is going to work with me to make certain we know who all was involved with jeffrey epstein and building out this international sex trafficking ring. This is information we've sought . It's information we've not been able to get.
▶ 1:55:01Chair Grassley: As the next fbi direct air, I have no doubt -- director, I have no doubt that he will work with us to end the scourge of human and sex trafficking in the united states. Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I don't think that the american people were up in arms about purging the department of justice or the fbi.
▶ 1:55:25Chair Grassley: I don't think they were up in arms wanting a stop or freeze to federal grants to states. I don't think they were up in arms calling for the nih to take action that will result in the halting of medical research. What they were up in arms was let's lower the price of food, milk and bread. They are still waiting. Here we are, Mr. chairman, talking about the nomination of kash patel.
▶ 1:55:56Chair Grassley: This man has so many red flags about why it is completely inappropriate to have him as the head of one of our most important law enforcement agencies that it makes your head spin. One thing is clear about kash patel. He has 100% loyalty to trump. That's the most critical thing for president trump. We are at a crisis point. This committee, if it plans to conduct any oversight, it must do so now.
▶ 1:56:25Chair Grassley: Here's what's happening at the fbi. Dozens of senior career fbi and doj employees have been purged with more to come. 5000 names of agents and personnel who worked on january 6 matters. Their names are there. What is supposed to happen to these people? I don't think they are going to get commended for their work on january 6.
▶ 1:56:52Chair Grassley: So hundreds or thousands of line prosecutors and fbi special agents and analysts may be purged. Make no mistake, our nation is under constant threat, both foreign and domestic. Purging hard-working and dedicated civil servants does nothing to make us safe. What's happening with the fbi and doj is that they've turned inward.
▶ 1:57:18Chair Grassley: Rather than focusing on potential attacks, hacks, or violent criminal enterprises, we have a doj and fbi that has been turned inward on themselves. Attorney general bondi's announcement to weaponize -- creating a weaponization working group last week only continues this trend. Through this working group she's doing what she told us she would not do.
▶ 1:57:49Chair Grassley: That is, we asked her, will you start investigating the investigators? Prosecuting the prosecutors? What is a weaponization working group supposed to be doing but investigating the investigators and prosecuting the prosecutors? Turning inward on itself rather than protecting this country from external dangers?
▶ 1:58:10Chair Grassley: I fear when the doj and fbi focus inward on themselves, what it means for the safety and security of our nation. Not much. That brings me to Mr. patel. He's not the man to answer the many challenges of the moment. Mr. patel spent his nomination hearing avoiding every hard question. I asked him if he would investigate people on his 60-person deep state list. He wouldn't say no. Mr.
▶ 1:58:40Chair Grassley: Chairman, we are sitting here, continuing to point out all of the red flags on this person. We democrats are going to continue to raise the red flags on this person. At some point, I'm hoping that we will come to a decency moment from my republican colleagues. Continuing, I asked him if he profited from selling supplements to detox the covid-19 vaccines. He didn't answer.
▶ 1:59:10Chair Grassley: I asked him if donald trump lost the 2020 election. He wouldn't answer. He claimed not to know an anti-semitic extremist name to stu peters despite appearing eight times on his podcast. The fact that he doesn't even answer, remember, whatever makes me think that he thinks coming before this committee under oath is something that he could just ignore with no consequences. And apparently, that's the road we are on.
▶ 1:59:39Chair Grassley: He tried to claim no involvement with the january 6 choir, despite promoting them and hocking their merchandise for years. He was unwilling to provide details about his grand jury testimony, testimony that he was compelled to give after taking the fifth. People who take the fifth are using it to protect themselves from self-incrimination. Of course, Mr. patel has the same right as any american to plead the fifth.
▶ 2:00:11Chair Grassley: We have an equal right to ask him as the nominee for fbi director, nonetheless, why he did so and learn what he ultimately testified. The one thing that Mr. patel did testify to in response to a question from senator booker, thanks senator booker for asking his question about whether he was "aware of any plans or discussions to punish fbi agent or personnel associated with trump investigations?"
▶ 2:00:48Chair Grassley: He said he was not aware of this, but we note in fact he had an awareness and is in fact proceeding to purge the fbi. He's not even the director. I join my colleagues and once again calling for us to actually get the answers from Mr. patel. The american people deserve to know where he's coming from. This is a person who will use the fbi for his own purposes. He will abuse his power.
▶ 2:01:21Chair Grassley: We have had -- my colleagues say that we will regret the day that we vote for him. We should be ready this moment and we should be calling him back so that the american people can find out what it is that this man plans to do, as he intends to very clearly abuse his power at the fbi for his own ends and to that of the president to whom he is 100% loyal.
▶ 2:01:50Chair Grassley: That is his biggest qualification to be fbi director, which is not much in my view. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:01:58Chair Grassley: Just so everybody knows, we are planning to vote at 11:00. They are -- they said they would hold the vote open, at least for me, so I assume that's everybody so that you can all be here. I don't know if it is after moody or booker gets done, but if we are all here I don't want to interrupt somebody's speech.
▶ 2:02:29Chair Grassley: If you want to vote a little earlier or let me interrupt you, whatever the case might be, just thk about that. Go ahead, senator moody.
▶ 2:02:39Sen. Moody: I had planned to come today and vote in support of the nominee, but I feel incumbent upon me as I've heard speaker after speaker talk about and presume to speak for the rank-and-file fbi agent's across this nation as someone who had worked hand in hand as a federal prosecutor myself, as someone who has been a state attorney general and had to work with,
▶ 2:03:09Sen. Moody: And then ultimately sue the fbi when they refused to work with us on the second assassination attempt, and as someone who has married a rank and file federal agent and witnessed first-hand how they have taken what we've seen over the last four years, I think it's incumbent upon me to say no one here, including myself, can speak for the rank-and-file fbi.
▶ 2:03:37Sen. Moody: What I can say is, watching what has happened over the last four years, and watching the legal system being used to to go after political adversaries, the rank-and-file want to get back to doing their jobs of going after multijurisdictional criminals, a working hand in hand and law enforcement, of
▶ 2:04:09Sen. Moody: Bringing to bear the promise of a country and a free people living under a rule of law that is effectually enforced. And I have to say, I disagree with many people who have said that the morale of fbi will go down if this nominee is confirmed. In fact, I believe quite the opposite.
▶ 2:04:32Sen. Moody: I believe they are ready to stand up, fight, and get back to work on christia work on chri -- get back to work on mission-critical cases. I've heard that kash patel is out for himself.
▶ 2:04:45Sen. Moody: If that's true, he is out for himself as an american, as someone who believes in the promise of this country, of what the agencies have been created to ensure, and that is to protect the people and their rights, the a to me of our states, and I believe that he will bring to bear that passion and enthusiasm and love of country as the fbi director. I've heard one of my colleagues say, why would you pick this person?
▶ 2:05:16Sen. Moody: And quoted all kinds of things that he has said. Indeed, he is passionate in his love and demonstration of love for this country, and maybe that's because he has served as a federal prosecutor and a public defendant and a chief of staff of the secretary of defense, and deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism on the national security council, and principal deputy for the national director of national intelligence.
▶ 2:05:44Sen. Moody: Maybe it's all those roles he has seen what this country has the ability to do to protect its people and has seen agencies go down the wrong path. He has said that he thinks there should be less agents in washington and more in the field doing their jobs. I think we can all agree with that. The way that he said it might not have been exactly the way we wanted to hear it, but that is what he means.
▶ 2:06:14Sen. Moody: That is what he means. Why pick this person? Because he does have that experience. I've heard questions of his experience. He might not have served in the upper echelons of the fbi, but aren't we asking this agency to set a new course? Don't we want a nontraditional candidate at this moment in time with extensive federal experience?
▶ 2:06:40Sen. Moody: I also heard that it is concerning that those that were at the capitol on january 6, and I will quote one of the colleagues who said they were on the loose, and that was concerning. I cannot tell you how many people are on the loose in this country right now that have surged into the country under the last administration.
▶ 2:07:07Sen. Moody: They are prior criminals or indeed have intent to do our country harm. They are on the loose right now because of the last administration. You have to have an fbi director that is focused and targeted in attention to make sure that those individuals are sought after and rounded up.
▶ 2:07:26Sen. Moody: Indeed, we have d.a.'s, mayors, commissioners, governors that don't care about the rule of law and have allowed crime to explode. You have to have an fbi director who will fill that gap. You have to have an fbi director who understands that one of their missions is transnational criminal organizations and that the fbi has indeed the jurisdiction to go after those folks. You used the word and description skunk at a picnic.
▶ 2:07:59Sen. Moody: That is how whistleblowers are treated. To some extent, when these new leaders get into these agencies, and they are coming in with an objective view, a fresh perspective wanting to do right by this country, it may be that there are people in those agencies that need to scatter, that need to leave. If they have lost focus on the mission of the agency, who they are serving, this country and its people, then they do need to go.
▶ 2:08:29Sen. Moody: Any director or any head of agency that we confirm out of the senate needs to go into those positions with that in mind. I believe that is why kash patel will be confirmed by the senate. [indiscernible] >> are you encouraging me to talk longer?
▶ 2:08:58Sen. Moody: That has never happened in this committee before. [indiscernible]
▶ 2:09:11Sen. Booker: I will try to go as quickly as possible. What me say that this is one of the more perplexing nominees for me personally. I've seen the pendulum swing back and forth in this committee now over 11 years. I've seen my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, rightfully, take up politically charged tweet about an nominee, whether for the bench or for significant offices like this one. As have we.
▶ 2:09:41Sen. Booker: I am seen back-and-forth. I never have seen something like this for a candidate. I'm surprised that there is not more people who are calling some of this out in the most objectively possible. I don't understand how we are moving forward at this point. It seems like we are. I was just told that the boat is coming. I want to go through -- though vote is coming. I want to go through some of the things that are stunning to me that we are dealing with.
▶ 2:10:12Sen. Booker: First of all, the idea of fbi employees, the incredible agents we all respect, that were involved in a lawful investigation of criminal violations of federal law that was protecting us and our national security, that these folks are being targeted. We know that is happening. I asked Mr. patel if he knew of any plans to punish or retaliate against fbi agent's and employees who worked on cases that president trump didn't like.
▶ 2:10:42Sen. Booker: He claimed he didn't, but he should not really be believed. Not only because this is the history of lying that we've seen, but because the facts that we've been presented as a committee suggest different.the timing of the fbi purges moments after the hearing that we had to me seems like an obvious implication upon this nominee.
▶ 2:11:05Sen. Booker: Ranking member durbin uncovered compelling evidence that patel didn't only just know about the fbi's plans to fire agents who were doing their job as directed, but that patel not only knew about it but he directed the purge as an outside citizen. If that's true, Mr. patel has perjured himself before this committee, something I believe we would take very seriously.
▶ 2:11:34Sen. Booker: His trustworthiness is evident in his failure to disclose his work on behalf of the embassy of qatar to this committee. That's stunning. He possibly broke the law when he did not file as a foreign agent. These are entanglements this committee should take seriously that we should investigate before moving forward. The financial disclosures that we received after our hearing that we didn't have a chance to ask him about show that Mr.
▶ 2:11:59Sen. Booker: Patel actually enriched himself by doing work for groups linked to russia and china, foreign adversaries of our nation. I can't believe that I need to say this as if it may be a question, but as a bare minimum the fbi director should not have conflicts of interest with the chinese communist party and vladimir putin and we should have had a chance to ask him about that in open committee. That is the most basic due diligence.
▶ 2:12:30Sen. Booker: Everything that Mr. patel has ever written and said, -- so much of what he has written and said demonstrates that he is someone who goes against the idea of integrity and independence of the fbi. He has gone far, as my colleagues have said, posting the most outrageous politically-charged things. I'm in disbelief that of all of the incredible people who could run this agency that this is someone that we would pick.
▶ 2:12:58Sen. Booker: My concerns really have to do with Mr. patel's testimony before this committee. No one can feign surprise when he does exactly what he has promised to do and a lot of these politically-charged writings. We have credible evidence that he is enacting the idea of revenge against fbi agents whom Mr. trump does not like.
▶ 2:13:23Sen. Booker: We have credible evidence that he committed perjury when he told this committee that he wasn't aware of these plans to fire fbi personnel. He later changed his answer when answering the committee's questions for the record. Suddenly he went from I don't know to I don't recall whether he plans to fire fbi personnel. This is what he was saying over and over. He does not recall. I don't recall.
▶ 2:13:59Sen. Booker: Not long ago, the fact that he lied about not knowing a white nationalist podcaster when he appeared on his podcast not one time, not three times, not five times, but he appeared on the podcast eight times. Yet come he said he didn't know who this person was or did not remember. This to me is a continued pattern that is disqualifying. To me, it would be something that all of our colleagues in this room would say, hey man, listen, dishonest, especially within an institution that has a reputation for that kind of integrity.
▶ 2:14:28Sen. Booker: His refusal to share what he said before the grand jury is another example of to me unacceptable not answering. His case about handling sensitive national security documents, it is a kind of information fbi directors are responsible for safeguarding. You played a role in that. He spoke before a grand jury. His testimony should be something shared with this committee.
▶ 2:14:55Sen. Booker: It is bad memory about what he testified to me is just incredible. When asked whether he discussed with anyone in the firing of the assistant director of counterterrorism, he said not that I recall. Did you know the fbi officials and rank-and-file agents would be fired before he testified? Not that I recall. Were you aware of the review of fbi personnel who worked on january 6 cases. Not that I recall.
▶ 2:15:24Sen. Booker: Can anyone with a straight face sit here and say that that is an answer, that he is not misleading this committee? This is unbelievable because his inability to recall such information to me speaks against his qualifications for a job. If he is not recalling things of such importance. This committee should ask for better for this from any nominee, democrat or republican president. This is stunning to me.
▶ 2:15:52Sen. Booker: We are here to serve the american people and their interest. This person has obfuscated, lied, shown and utter lack of character and straightforwardness with this committee. It is just obvious to me of all of the people this president has nominated, I voted for many of them, this stands apart from what this committee should demand from anyone coming before it. I appreciate the desire to defer to a president on their nominees. This is why I have voted for many Mr.
▶ 2:16:22Sen. Booker: Trump's nominees in this time he has become elected president. But it is our constitutional duty to ensure the president's nominees are fit for public office. This boat should not boil down to partisanship -- this vote should not boil down to partisanship. But the understanding of someone who has testified in this manner should be allowed to ascend without further questioning, further investigation of some of these issues I have brought up. I am very disappointed by this.
▶ 2:16:51Sen. Booker: I am stunned by the fact we are going to have a straight party-line vote on someone who is so clearly unqualified for this office, who so clearly misled this committee, who has so many areas of his back on this committee has not thoroughly explored that point to some serious potential conflicts or worse.
▶ 2:17:14Sen. Booker: With that, in hopes that I'm trying to keep my testimony -- my comments under five minutes, which I have failed to do, I am concluding, sir. >> Mr. chairman, I am stunned and perplexed at this moment that I have been asked to talk for two minutes.
▶ 2:17:44Sen. Booker: >> [inaudible] [laughter]
▶ 2:17:55Sen. Booker: For the record, the chairman said I make a lot of sense. But he disagrees with me. [laughter] Mr. chairman, if you would like to filibuster, you are welcome to. I am sure the committee would allow you to sit here quietly. If not, I would very much like to hear lindsey graham speak on the virtues of the great state of new jersey.
▶ 2:18:25Sen. Booker: >> [inaudible] >> it is not going to be a long speech. >> wow. >> my brother-in-law is from new jersey and we like him a lot.
▶ 2:18:41Sen. Booker: I will take that as a testimony. >> [inaudible] . Thank you, sir. >> happy birthday to dick blumenthal.
▶ 2:19:03Chair Grassley: The senate rules limit the time for committee meeting so I need to call the roll call vote. I will allow anyone who still wishes to speak on this nomination to do so after we vote. On the favorably reported the nomination of kash patel to be director of federal bureau of investigation on the clerk will call the roll.
▶ 2:19:32Clerk: [role call]
▶ 2:20:27Chair Grassley: The vote of 12-10, the nomination will be favorably reported to the floor. Do you want to speak? Please do now. I have to go vote. Will some senator on my side stay? >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:21:00Chair Grassley: I believe that this country and this congress is in the midst of what has been smote -- slow moving but rapidly accelerating constitutional crisis.
▶ 2:21:15Chair Grassley: It began most visibly on january 6 of 2021 when the two norms of this republic, the peaceful transfer of power and the renunciation of violence, were breached.
▶ 2:21:37Chair Grassley: And where many members of the house and senate voted against certifying the election of the person chosen by the american people. President trump then and president trump today continues to assert that the 2020 election was stolen. Stop the steal. He won the 2024 election.
▶ 2:22:12Chair Grassley: His election was certified. He is entitled as president to vigorously use the powers of the presidency to implement the policies that he advocates. He is not entitled to violate the constitution. In his effort to do so.
▶ 2:22:42Chair Grassley: Mr., in my view, -- Mr. chairman, in my view, the beginning of the trump administration assuring the contempt for the constitution and lawlessness that is dangerous to the future of our republic. Freezing federal spending, clearly unconstitutional. Shutting down agencies created by congress with no authority to do so.
▶ 2:23:13Chair Grassley: Removing leaders of agencies, including inspector general's against the clear requirements of law. Firing government employees who have civil service protections, threatening to do poor people based on their political views, revoking by executive authority birthright citizenship.
▶ 2:23:42Chair Grassley: These are just some of the actions you president has taken where he has no authority to do so. On monday, a federal judge said the white house defined his order to release billions of dollars in federal grant, marking the first time a judge has expressly declared the trump administration is disobeying a judicial mandate.
▶ 2:24:14Chair Grassley: This country is headed into a situation where in addition to acting without authority, the president is indicating he will defy rulings from the third branch of our government, the judiciary. Vice president vance has made clear his point of view on this post of judges are not allowed to control the executive's legitimate powers.
▶ 2:24:46Chair Grassley: Of course under our constitution since marbury versus madison, the court is the final arbiter of what is constitutional or what is not. My colleagues, my view of this is that the administration is showing maximum content -- contempt for constitutional valves including, most importantly, the separation of powers.
▶ 2:25:21Chair Grassley: We have a dilemma here. There are many in this committee that are fully in support of the policies that president trump is pursuing. That is a course -- that is of course you are right and his right.
▶ 2:25:43Chair Grassley: But the unique responsibility each of us has as a united states senator has is to guarantee that in pursuit of those policies, it is done within the constitutional boundaries. This is not just to talk about civic aspiration. Senate recognition.
▶ 2:26:08Chair Grassley: At the separation of powers, that the system of checks and balances, that the concept of ambition and the executives should be matched with the ambition and the legislature has held this country together for 250 years. We have fierce debates about important public policy matters.
▶ 2:26:36Chair Grassley: But what allows us to resolve those despite disagreements, intense disagreements, is the pushing and shoving, the engagement, the winning and moving forward, losing a fight and falling back, but all within the norms of the constitution.
▶ 2:27:07Chair Grassley: That is being threatened. I don't say that lightly. But what has happened on january 6 is continuing. And where we saw the stop the steel, the renunciation of the decision that the american people made in 2020 in that election and the candidates, many of them who came before us including Mr.
▶ 2:27:31Chair Grassley: Patel, unable to simply say who won the 2020 election, continuing the stop the steel narrative. And then with president trump in office, acting in ways that challenge the constitutional order. I am voting against Mr.
▶ 2:27:59Chair Grassley: Patel because he is clearly an instrument in that effort to continue eroding the precepts of the constitution on the separation of powers. Colleagues, this is a very difficult time, particularly for my colleagues on the republican side. You support many of president trump's policies.
▶ 2:28:30Chair Grassley: As I say, that is your right. But it is so essential to each of us as a the senator to make our own judgments about whether the manner in which power is being used on the executive branch is a threat to the power of the legislative branch, the article I branch. Each of us must be custodians of that constitutional order in our role as the legislature in it.
▶ 2:29:04Chair Grassley: Tough judgments that have to be made. My judgment is that the president is showing absolute contempt for the united states congress. And the next stop is contempt for the united states judiciary. I cannot vote for a person who signed on to that agenda. I yield the floor.
▶ 2:29:42Chair Grassley: >> senator schiff will be joining us shortly. To my friend senator welch, I hope we have a great relationship but some of the things he was talking about, the tug and pull of the executive and the legislative branch plays out this way every time you have a transition of power.
▶ 2:30:07Chair Grassley: The best example I could use is the current example right now between the democratic governor and republican legislature in the state of north carolina. We have a new governor who in his first 90 days probably is going to do, as he should, push the boundaries of the executive branch. That is their job. The same thing with president trump. We need to continue to assert there are very clear differences enshrined in the constitution between who has authority.
▶ 2:30:34Chair Grassley: But you pretend that just occurred in this administration is looking past the endless we just made over the last four years about resident biden stretching his authority being challenged in court, etc. I don't think this is new. I do believe getting back to Mr. patel, that he is been treated unfairly.
▶ 2:30:55Chair Grassley: I had some posters here that I will not use, but I heard a lot of people saying their comments if the allegations are true. This is coming from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. So they are not 100% sure, but it sure fits comfortably into a narrative in opposition to Mr. patel.
▶ 2:31:22Chair Grassley: We heard a video reference I think by senator whitehouse about -- I think was senator whitehouse. One of the members talking about shopping logs, the people in the so-called enemies list, which was an index to a book that Mr. patel wrote and published. If you kept watching the same video that he did not produce and it was many years ago, you will see he was also chopping off the end of a log maga, true social, and a couple of other logos. Put that up real quick.
▶ 2:31:53Chair Grassley: So everybody conveniently presses because at the point to make their argument, but if they had gone a little bit further, they would have seen other things are coming off the log. Guys, let's be fulsome in our research, our response, our basis for opposing or supporting a nominee. I think Mr.
▶ 2:32:14Chair Grassley: Patel is going to come and fix an agency that I have great admiration for, that I still believe is the gold standard for law enforcement agencies in the world. In the history of the world. But to suggest that others should not be put under a microscope I think it naive. I supported chris wray and he disappointed me. He is at the top of the agency and their inappropriate investigations going on.
▶ 2:32:40Chair Grassley: I supported merrick garland when he was put forth by senator biden and yet he has disappointed me with some investigations and activities. And the doj that we were absolutely inappropriate under his watch. Did he know about it? I don't know. What I do know is he was the head of the organization and at some point you have to hold people in these organizations accountable. I trust her mister, until he gave me a reason not to.
▶ 2:33:06Chair Grassley: So for people to think we should keep the fbi as it is and not question some of the politically motivated activities, whether a democrat or republican is in power, either being naive or just waiting for the opportunity when that slant is in the favor of their worldview. I want the fbi to do the job it does very well and nothing more, never to be motivated by political retribution. I said yesterday to a nominee, this needs to end.
▶ 2:33:39Chair Grassley: The political physics for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction is what is tarnishing the reputation of the finest law enforcement agency recognized that way worldwide. And we can do better. There are other people saying Mr. patel condoned the january 6 the tax. I asked him when he was sitting right there does he agree with me, the people that attacked the capitol police officers are thugs.
▶ 2:34:04Chair Grassley: He said that if he were asked by the president to have given pardons those thugs that attacked capitol police officers, his recommendation would have been no. And yet people want to pretend he was ok with that, coming in as the head of the fbi. Folks, let's be honest here. Someone else said -- there was a republican who said this is a shirts and skins exercise. I am the one that said it.
▶ 2:34:29Chair Grassley: Because when you see pam bondi who has personal relationships with people on the other side of the aisle not get a single democratic vote from this committee, they clearly were in a shirts and skins posture. Not always. Probably not even for the remainder of this congress. But right now, I stand by that characterization. We saw it again today. So the senator durbin has anything to say, we will be at ease until senator schiff arrives.
▶ 2:37:48Chair Grassley: >> keeping the committee in session, to give you an opportunity to weigh in on this nomination. Before I address Mr. patel, I do want to address the continuing narrative about the weaponization of the doj supposed weaponization of the doj over the last four years. To me, it represents the most vigorous reinvention of history.
▶ 2:38:19Chair Grassley: The question is asked by some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, why is it that donald trump was the only president to be indicted not once, not twice, but four times? And isn't this by definition a double standard come a treating of this president differently because no other president in history has been indicted so many times. The one does not fall from the other. Yes, this president was indicted more than any other president in history.
▶ 2:38:51Chair Grassley: Because this president committing war crimes than any other president in history. And let's look at what he was indicted for. Because we can't just talk about this in the abstract. He was indicted for inciting a violent attack on the capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power. And yes he is the only president ever to be indicted on those charges because he is the only president to have incited a violent attack on the capitol. That does not mean a double standard was applied to Mr. trump.
▶ 2:39:23Chair Grassley: It means the rule of law was applied to Mr. trump. Indeed, the fact he was charged was a vindication of the rule of law that we are a nation of laws, not a nation of men. It was an affirmation of that principle, not its abrogation.
▶ 2:39:42Chair Grassley: The fact that donald trump was indicted for bringing hundreds of classified documents to mar-a-lago, for refusing to relinquish them, for participating to obstruct the investigation into their unlawful retention does not mean some double standard was applied to him.
▶ 2:40:00Chair Grassley: It means the same standard was applied as anyone who willfully brought hundreds of classified documents home, refused to turn them over, and then conspired with others to obstruct the investigation. Others who involved in the hiding of the documents, others involved in trying to delete surveillance tapes.
▶ 2:40:24Chair Grassley: The fact that donald trump was indicted for making hush-money payments to appoint star -- a porn start to hide this from election voters come the first he was indicted for that probably means he was the first presidential candidate to be making hush-money payments to a porn start to hide it from voters.
▶ 2:40:46Chair Grassley: So let's not suggest, let's not market, let's not propagandize about some weaponization, some double standard when grand jury found probable cause to believe he committed these crimes and the only case that was allowed to go to trial, the jury found him guilty on every single charge.
▶ 2:41:12Chair Grassley: My colleagues on the other side say, we have to restore confidence in the department of justice and the fbi because the public has such low confidence. Well, of course they have low confidence in the department, the department has been trashed by the former and now current president for years. Of course with that kind of circular logic, there is a low opinion of the department and the bureau because it is been trashed for years. Why has it been trashed?
▶ 2:41:44Chair Grassley: Because the people in the department of justice and the fbi had the audacity to believe what we were saying, that is that there is one standard for the rule of law that applies to everyone equally, even applies to the high and mighty, even to the president of the united states. I have worked with the fbi since I was a prosecutor more than 30 years ago. They are the finest law enforcement agency in the country. I don't think they have any near peer. They are the best of the best.
▶ 2:42:13Chair Grassley: To see what they are going through now with this witchhunt is just awful for such dedicated public servants. It is not just, as many of my colleagues have been emphasizing, it is not just they were assigned credit -- assigned cases they had no discretionary of taking. That is true, but it is not just that. It is the fact these cases were also deeply legitimate cases.
▶ 2:42:44Chair Grassley: Involving people who violently attacked this building. Including, by the way, a prosecutor named bove, one of these guys leading the witchhunt. It was just revealed at the southern district of new york where he was working at the time was one of the aggressive prosecutors working with the fbi on these january 6 cases. Now he is the guy helping to lead the inquisition in the fbi, the purging, the witchhunt.
▶ 2:43:15Chair Grassley: So this is what we are doing to the fbi right now. Now, kash patel was asked in committee and after committee -- we have already talked about what he was asked in committee. Let me read the questions I asked in his answers.
▶ 2:43:31Chair Grassley: Bear in mind this is just a few days after his testimony or immediately after his testimony and I asked, it has been reported career senior officials across doj have been reassigned or fired since president trump's inauguration. More than a dozen officials who worked on the special counsel team that investigated donald trump in two separate criminal cases were fired by acting attorney general james mchenry within the fbi senior leaders were ordered to retire, resign, or be fired by february 3 2025.
▶ 2:44:01Chair Grassley: Were you aware of these personal moves before they occurred? Answer, not that I recall. Re-consulted by anyone at the white house, doj, any of these personnel decisions? Answer, not that I recall. Have you need any questions with the doj come fbi about these or other personnel moves at the fbi? Not that I recall.
▶ 2:44:24Chair Grassley: Ok, it is one thing if we are talking about events that happened two years ago or four years ago or 10 years ago it might be appropriate to say "not that I recall." these were conversations he was asked about that happened days or hours earlier. He really doesn't recall whether he talked to people at the white house about firing people at the department of the fbi? Are we to believe he does not recall?
▶ 2:44:51Chair Grassley: Now we have whistleblowers who say that he was leading these firings. That he suddenly does not recall. That is just not the least bit credible that he does not remember. Of course he remembers. "I don't recall, ""not that I recall" is the language and attorney does you to use if you want to perjure yourself but don't want to be caught in perjury.
▶ 2:45:19Chair Grassley: This is who we are voting to make the director of the fbi come the guy who says "I don't recall whether I participated in the farm the people"? This is the guy who testified to this committee I think when ranking member durbin asked him about his role in producing -- "I had nothing to do with the recording." of course we know because it was recorded, there he was on the
▶ 2:45:51Chair Grassley: Podcast saying, yeah, we took the recording to the studio. Yeah, we digitized it, mastered it. We, we, we. When he is confronted with this during the committee he gives us the novel defense "we" doesn't include "me." I don't know what is worse, the fact kash patel wanted to take credit for making a song with convicted felons who attacked police officers or wanted to take credit for something he never did or he did and he lied
▶ 2:46:23Chair Grassley: About it. Either way, it is pretty damning for anyone, let alone someone who would be the director of the fbi. At this is a guy also who was called before the grand jury, first probably nominee for fbi director in history called before the grand jury, refused to testify in a criminal case without getting immunity. Plead the fifth, demanded immunity.
▶ 2:46:49Chair Grassley: This is going to be the fbi director, a guy who want to testify in a case investigated by the fbi without getting immunity? A guy who I guess has stock options worth $1 million to $5 million the company financed by the chinese communist party?
▶ 2:47:11Chair Grassley: And we still don't know what he did to earn that money from a company affiliated with the chinese communist party, who made money from some arms conglomerate with ties to putin? This is really astounding that we are where we are. I have known kash patel since he was a staffer for devin nunes.
▶ 2:47:38Chair Grassley: He is not someone who would ever think of when you think of fidelity, bravery, integrity. Not when he was a staffer, not when he was in the trump administration. In fact, the people who speak most damningly of kash patel are those who worked with him in the administration. People like bill barr who for lesser position said "over my dead body" when asked about kash patel. It is a tragedy for the fbi it comes to this.
▶ 2:48:12Chair Grassley: I can't imagine the demoralization at the fbi and the department of justice. The damage will be long, long-standing. It seems my colleagues are determined to confirm him on the senate floor. And to all those fbi agents I worked with over the years, to all that are there now that I have not had the privilege of working with, my heart breaks for what you are about to go through.
▶ 2:48:43Chair Grassley: With leadership that you cannot respect, who has not earned your respect, will not earn your respect. I know you will put your head down and do your jobs because you are professionals. I hope you stay at the fbi. I hope you don't leave. Because if you're committed to the mission and you leave, it will just leave behind people who are less committed to the mission. So I hope you will stay. I hope you will gut it out.
▶ 2:49:14Chair Grassley: I hope the same as for the creative -- professionals. -- I hope the same for the career professionals. We need the career civil servants, public servants who serve in both institutions. But it will be a sad day when we can from the likes of kash patel knowing what we are getting. We will have no one but ourselves to blame most of Mr. chairman, I yield back.
▶ 2:49:41Chair Grassley: I will close with this commentary. We talked about and listened to people hypothesizing about patel taking leads from the white house.
▶ 2:50:01Chair Grassley: We have plenty of evidence that the white house telegraphed to the department of justice about these prosecutions. We have biden complaining that garland did not start soon enough. And then you have this coincidence of trump announcing for reelection in december 2022.
▶ 2:50:33Chair Grassley: Then all of the sudden in 2023, have four indictments. What a coincidence. Meeting adjourned. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap.org]