ADVERTISEMENTs
.png)
Senate Committee advances Kash Patel’s nomination amid calls for further scrutiny
Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley dismissed demands for a second hearing, arguing that Patel has already provided extensive testimony and documentation.
Kash Patel / Reuters
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced that the committee will move forward with a final vote on Kash Patel’s nomination as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in the coming week.
Grassley, in a statement on Feb. 4, dismissed the Minority’s request for Patel to return before the committee, emphasizing that he had already testified for over five hours, submitted thousands of pages of records and media appearances, and provided 147 pages of written responses.
“Further hearings on his nomination are unnecessary,” Grassley said rejecting calls from Senate Democrats for a second hearing. “No one was convinced by the Minority’s baseless efforts to mischaracterize and malign Kash Patel. The Senate Judiciary Committee will not fall for Democrats’ delay tactics. I intend to hold a final committee vote on Patel’s nomination as soon as next week.”
“It’s additionally outrageous to assert that a nominee should come before the Senate to answer for government actions that occurred prior to their time at an agency,” Grassley added.
FBI Purge
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with a coalition of 20 state attorneys general, has formally urged the Senate to demand further answers from Patel. The coalition expressed concern over reports of politically motivated removals of FBI officials, particularly those involved in investigations related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation plays a critical role in protecting public safety,” Bonta stated. “The disturbing reports of the Trump administration’s politically motivated firings and retaliation against FBI agents who worked on Jan. 6-related cases emphasize the need for answers. We urge the Senate to demand clarity on the pending FBI purge before voting on Mr. Patel’s nomination.”
The letter from the attorneys general references reports that more than a dozen high-ranking FBI officials have been dismissed and that a list is being compiled of all agents and staff involved in Jan. 6 investigations. The coalition contends that this effort constitutes a “purge” of the agency’s ranks, warning that such actions could have significant consequences for law enforcement operations nationwide.
“Purging over 6,000 FBI agents and staff will have disastrous effects on public safety,” the letter states. “FBI employees and staff protect America from the very threats that President Trump has repeatedly highlighted, including fentanyl trafficking, foreign terrorist organizations, and organized crime.”
The attorney general also pointed to broader efforts by the Trump administration to weaken law enforcement institutions, citing recent mass pardons of over 1,500 Capitol riot participants, dismissals of federal prosecutors, and funding cuts to law enforcement agencies.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
_11zon.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login