
FBI Shuts Down Internal Surveillance Watchdog Amid FISA Debate
FBI Director Kash Patel has quietly disbanded an internal auditing office created to prevent misuse of national security surveillance, according to officials familiar with the decision.
FBI Director Kash Patel has quietly disbanded an internal auditing office created to prevent misuse of national security surveillance, according to officials familiar with the decision.
FBI Director Kash Patel has cut back the agency’s longstanding tradition of daily intelligence briefings and weekly video calls with field office leaders, prompting concern from current and former officials.
FBI Director Kash Patel exchanged sharp words with U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean during a tense congressional hearing Wednesday, as the Pennsylvania Democrat accused him of lying under oath and aligning the bureau with far-right political interests.
Since taking over as FBI director in February, Kash Patel has become a high-profile presence — attending sporting events, posting on social media, and reshaping the bureau’s leadership and structure.
The FBI has placed intelligence analyst Brian Auten on administrative leave, raising concerns about political retaliation under Director Kash Patel.
The second-in-command at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has resigned under pressure, further deepening a leadership shakeup at the federal agency tasked with enforcing the nation’s gun laws.
New FBI leaders Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, once two of the agency’s fiercest critics, are now calling for reforms from within — using the bureau’s damaged reputation, which they helped shape, as justification for change.
The FBI has formed a task force to investigate recent attacks on Tesla properties.