By Steve Neavling
Former FBI officials are raising alarms about Donald Trump’s nominee for bureau director, Kash Patel, warning that his leadership could dramatically centralize power at the bureau.
Patel, who has reportedly secured unanimous Republican support on the Senate judiciary committee, is expected to be confirmed next year after current director Chris Wray steps down.
Patel has previously called for shutting down FBI headquarters and drafted what critics call an “enemies list” of his political opponents. His potential confirmation raises concerns that traditional checks on the FBI director’s authority would be weakened under his tenure, the Guardian reports.
“I don’t think people truly realize how powerful an FBI director can be, unrestrained,” said former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi on the Highly Conflicted podcast.
Figliuzzi noted that Patel could unilaterally open cases, hold press conferences, and gain access to sensitive files, including those involving Trump.
Figliuzzi speculated that Patel might prioritize investigations favorable to Trump, saying, “I imagine on the first day in office, he’s going to say, ‘I need every file that has the word Trump in it.’ That should be a real concern.”
Critics also point to Patel’s lack of FBI experience, with his national security background largely tied to his time as a Trump loyalist on the House intelligence committee and in the Trump administration. Former FBI officials fear that under Patel’s leadership, the bureau’s focus could shift toward politically motivated investigations at the expense of critical counterterrorism and criminal cases.
Patel’s nomination aligns with Trump’s dissatisfaction with Wray, who Trump reportedly soured on after Wray did not block the classified documents investigation at Mar-a-Lago. If confirmed, Patel is likely to install allies in key roles, including a new chief of staff and general counsel, further consolidating his control.
Figliuzzi also raised concerns about Patel’s potential influence over security clearance processes, including background investigations and reinvestigations, which could be manipulated to serve partisan aims. “Once it gets to headquarters, can it be manipulated by somebody like Kash Patel? You bet,” he said.
