Law professor and former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade cautioned FBI Director Kash Patel to stop running his mouth or he'd harm the case against the alleged shooter of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Speaking on Fox News Monday morning, Patel walked through some of the evidence collected, such as DNA on a screwdriver and text messages he claimed have been found between the alleged shooter and others.
McQuade gave MSNBC her reaction to him sharing those finds.
"It's as if you saw my head exploding," she said.
Patel told Fox that he believes in full transparency and intends to reveal everything the FBI has done to build the case against the accused.
But McQuade called it "inappropriate" to do so. "To detail the evidence is contrary to regulations that govern the practices of the Department of Justice. That's because when you share the results of evidence, you can violate the due process rights of a defendant and jeopardize their right to a fair trial."
She wondered, "Maybe Kash Patel doesn't care about his rights to a fair trial, but he should be caring about the success of this prosecution and investigation. And so it does tee up a potential motion for the defendant to use these words against Kash Patel as a suggestion that he would be denied a right to a fair trial."
McQuade said she didn't expect a judge to dismiss the case based on the evidence, but Patel's comments revealing the information could result in the change of venue or other complications that prosecutors "don't need."
"So, I would ordinarily say this is amateurish. Maybe that's what it is, but it also seems like it is more about driving a political story than a sound criminal investigation," McQuade bashed.
The alleged shooter is expected in court on Tuesday. There's a very real possibility that the accused could attempt to make an insanity plea, McQuade added.