New Delhi: US President-elect Donald Trump nominated Indian-American Pentagon official Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel as FBI director. Known to be a Trump loyalist, Patel has advocated dismantling of what he refers to as the ‘deep state’ within the US government.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
Who is Kash Petal?
Born to Gujarati parents, Patel was born in Queens, New York. His parents had emigrated from East Africa. After securing a law degree, Patel worked as a public defender in Florida the in state and federal courts. He later joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor. He handled high-profile international terrorism cases across East Africa and the United States.
He joined the Department of Defense as a civilian lawyer and collaborated with Special Operations Command, focusing on global counterterrorism operations. His work drew attention of Congressman Devin Nunes, then-chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Nunes recruited him as senior counsel on counterterrorism.
‘Accused of being a backchannel for Ukraine’
During Trump’s first term, Patel rose to prominence. He became a part of the House Republicans’ investigation into the FBI’s handling of the Russia probe. He played a key role in drafting the controversial GOP memo that had raised allegations of bias in the FBI’s investigation Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign. The New York Times had dubbed him as the ‘Kash Memo.’ The memo document became a flashpoint in the partisan battle over the Russia probe.
Patel had played a key role in shaping Trump’s national security policies as the Chief of Staff to the Acting Secretary of Defence. Patel was also accused of acting as an unauthorised backchannel for Ukraine, reported the India Today.
Was Trump dissatisfied with the current FBI leadership?
Patel’ nomination indicates Trump’s dissatisfaction with the current FBI leadership, which is under Christopher Wray. Trump had also appointed Wray in 2017. But, he had openly criticised Wray’s handling of the FBI, particularly its probe involving Trump himself. The FBI had conducted a court-approved search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in connection with classified documents under Wray’s leadership.
Are radical changes in the FBI in the offing?
In a previous interview with the conservative Shawn Ryan Show, Patel had proposed radical changes in the FBI. He had spoken about dismantling the FBI’s intelligence-gathering operations and repurposing its headquarters.
“The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops. I’d break that component out of it. I’d shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state,” Patel said, as quoted by India Today. “And I’d take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. You’re cops. Go be cops,” he added.
