FBI Director's Partner Granted Elite Protection Amid Controversy
FBI Director Kash Patel is facing intense criticism following revelations that his girlfriend, country music star Alexis Wilkins, has been assigned an elite FBI SWAT team for her personal protection. Sources confirmed to news outlets that the highly trained agents, who normally operate from the Nashville field office and respond to major incidents like mass shootings and terror attacks, are now providing security for Wilkins.
Questions Over Legitimacy of Security Detail
The protection arrangement has raised significant eyebrows, particularly given that Wilkins primarily resides in Nashville, where she first met Patel, and rarely visits his homes in Washington D.C. and Las Vegas. Christopher O'Leary, a former senior FBI agent, stated there is "no legitimate justification for this," calling it a "clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources." He emphasised that Wilkins is not Patel's spouse and they don't share a home or even a city.
This controversy emerges at a sensitive time, following the removal of security details from individuals facing genuine threats, including a reference to the decision concerning former National Security Advisor John Bolton after an alleged Iranian assassination plot.
History of Controversial Resource Use
This is not the first time Patel's use of FBI resources has come under fire. He previously faced scrutiny for using the FBI's $60 million government plane to travel to a "date night" in Pennsylvania, where he attended a wrestling match featuring a performance by Wilkins. While the FBI director is required to use a government jet for travel and must reimburse for personal use, the incident drew parallels to criticism Patel himself levelled on his podcast, Kash's Corner, two years earlier. At that time, he said he wanted to "ground Chris Wray's private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars," referencing the man he would later succeed.
Patel defended the arrangement in a fiery social media post, claiming his girlfriend had "done more for this nation than most will in ten lifetimes." He raged that attacks against her were "cowardly and jeopardize our safety," asserting that his love of family is his cornerstone.
Ongoing Lawsuit Adds Another Layer
Meanwhile, Wilkins is entangled in a separate legal battle. She is suing Samuel Parker, a former U.S. Senate candidate from Utah, after he alleged she had connections to Israeli intelligence forces. Her lawsuit, filed in 2025, states that Parker "repeatedly lied about Alexis Wilkins, falsely asserting... that she is an agent of a foreign government." The court filing explicitly describes Wilkins as a "Christian, American-born, United States citizen" who is "unaffiliated with any intelligence agency, much less the government of Israel."
The FBI has been contacted for comment regarding the protection detail assigned to the director's girlfriend.
