Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) directly challenged FBI Director Kash Patel during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, citing credible reports of misconduct, including heavy alcohol use and political purges of agents involved in President Donald Trump's investigations.
Van Hollen stated, "Patel's private conduct becomes a public concern if it interferes with job performance, referencing reports of Patel being "so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home."
Patel has denied these allegations.
Van Hollen also accused Patel of broader leadership failures, including political firings of career agents whose only fault was "following the facts and the law."
Patel was also accused of terminating a counterintelligence unit monitoring Iran threats.
Van Hollen charged Patel with weaponizing the FBI for political revenge against former Director James Comey and using investigative resources against journalists critical of his leadership.
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