Trump's pick to lead FBI facing anger over 'enemies lists'

U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to lead the nation's premier law enforcement agency faces a crucial test in his confirmation bid Thursday as senators decide whether to advance his nomination to the floor.

Right wing former lawyer Kash Patel has a long history of promoting misinformation about election fraud and public health and published what Democrats say amounted to an "enemies list" of Trump critics in a recent book.

His nomination has become even more contentious since the eruption of a second "enemies list" scandal this week, as the FBI was forced to provide a list of thousands of employees involved in investigations into the 2021 US Capitol insurrection that led to Trump being impeached and indicted.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have demanded a second hearing to grill Patel, whom they claim withheld information in his first appearance about plans for "political retribution" within the FBI.

But the committee, like the Senate itself, is controlled by Republicans and there was no indication the vote scheduled for mid-morning would be delayed.

"These actions have political retribution written all over them, and it will get worse if Kash Patel is named FBI director," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer as he slammed the FBI list and the nomination.

"The Senate should not rubber-stamp a patently partisan nominee like Kash Patel to lead the FBI... Either Mr. Patel serves the interests of the American people or serves the interests of Donald Trump."

Patel is among a number of Trump intelligence and law enforcement nominees who have been assailed over their lack of experience and poor judgment in a series of showstopping Senate confirmation hearings.

- 'Innuendo and misinformation' -

Just two Republican "no" votes would stop his nomination from making it to the Senate floor with a favorable report, and the party's leadership has indicated that candidates won't get a vote without committee support.

But Trump has enormous sway over Republicans in Congress and the party's senators have shown little appetite for objecting to the figures picked to staff Trump's national security team.

Tulsi Gabbard survived her committee vote for director of national intelligence and Pete Hegseth has been confirmed by the full Senate as defense secretary -- despite facing serious questions from both sides on their character and lack of experience.

There were fiery exchanges at Patel's confirmation hearing on January 30 as Democrats brought up a list of 60 supposed "deep state" actors -- all critics of Trump -- he included in a 2022 book, whom he said should be investigated or "otherwise reviled."

Senator Dick Durbin, the panel's top Democrat, said Patel had "neither the experience, the temperament nor the judgment to lead" the FBI.

Patel has denied that he has an "enemies list," and told the committee he was merely interested in bringing lawbreakers to book.

In one unexpected exchange, he distanced himself from at least some of Trump's pardons of hundreds of criminals convicted of violence over the insurrection.

"I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement," he said.

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz slammed the "baseless attacks and political theater" targeting Patel as he accused the nominee's critics of having "peddled innuendo and misinformation."

"At the end of the day, what is really striking, is none of them made a serious argument that Kash Patel is not qualified." he told Fox News.

"His experience is extensive and what they are afraid of is that Kash Patel will do exactly what Donald Trump promised."

© Agence France-Presse