FBI Director Kash Patel has forcefully denied allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences, calling them a 'total farce' during a Senate hearing. The claims, first reported by The Atlantic, suggested that Patel's alcohol consumption had become a concern across government, with some reports alleging his security detail struggled to rouse him and sought breaching equipment to access a room where he was unresponsive.
During the hearing, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen raised the allegations, calling them 'extremely alarming' and suggesting they amounted to a 'gross dereliction of duty'. Patel dismissed the claims as 'baseless', adding, 'I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations.' When Van Hollen suggested a test for a drinking problem, Patel retorted he would take one if the senator did the same.
Patel then turned the tables, accusing Van Hollen of drinking margaritas in El Salvador on taxpayer money and running up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington. Van Hollen's office clarified that the $7,128 payment to the Lobby Bar was for a holiday reception catering, paid from campaign funds, not taxpayer dollars. The senator's office described the El Salvador claim as a hoax staged by an aide to President Nayib Bukele.
Patel has also denied ordering polygraph tests to find leakers and using FBI resources to investigate negative press about him. He has sued The Atlantic for defamation, seeking $250 million in damages, and told the magazine: 'Print it, all false, I'll see you in court – bring your checkbook.' The Atlantic has said it stands by its reporting.
