FBI Director Kash Patel faced sharp criticism for missing a critical budget deadline and allegedly using government planes for personal travel while working remotely from his Las Vegas home.
During a Fox News interview, host Brett Baier questioned Patel about his failure to submit the FBI’s budget for fiscal year 2026. “The Office of Management Budget sets government budget,” Patel stated, deflecting responsibility. When pressed for a timeline on completing the overdue budget, Patel said he has no timeline.
Earlier, Patel testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee without the spending plan he was legally required to complete. Despite lacking a detailed budget, he requested $10.1 billion in salaries and expenses to carry out the FBI’s mission, more than $500 million less than FY2025 levels. However, Patel told lawmakers that the bureau’s operational needs exceed the White House budget proposal, which includes an approximately $545 million cut to the agency.
The FBI director defended himself by pivoting to attacks on his predecessors. Patel accused prior FBI directors of wasting millions on personal junkets. He specifically challenged critics to examine how James Comey and Christopher Wray used government aircraft during their tenures.
Patel claimed he works nonstop including weekends. However, former FBI counter-intelligence official Frank Figliuzzi offered a starkly different assessment of Patel’s work habits and presence at FBI headquarters.
“Patel visible at nightclubs more than FBI office,” Figliuzzi said. The former official also revealed significant changes to the director’s engagement with agency operations.
Figliuzzi said the daily briefings changed from daily to twice weekly. This reduction in briefings raised concerns about Patel’s level of involvement in the bureau’s day-to-day operations and his grasp of ongoing investigations and national security matters.
The former FBI official painted a troubling picture of leadership at the nation’s premier law enforcement agency. Figliuzzi said FBI headquarters is in chaos. According to his sources within the bureau, staff members remain uncertain about operational priorities and decision-making processes from one day to the next.
Adding to concerns about his management style, Patel works remotely from Las Vegas home for significant portions of the work week. This arrangement has raised questions about his accessibility to senior FBI leadership and his ability to respond quickly to emerging threats or crises requiring immediate attention from the director. His frequent presence in Las Vegas rather than at the Hoover building’s seventh floor, where the director’s office is located, has become a point of internal frustration within the bureau, according to current and former officials familiar with the situation.
Beyond budget failures and remote work arrangements, Patel faced allegations regarding his use of government resources. Patel used government planes for personal use, according to multiple reports that prompted congressional scrutiny.
The specific instances of alleged misuse included various personal trips. Patel traveled to Nashville to visit his girlfriend on an FBI aircraft. Additionally, Patel attended sporting events using government planes, including hockey games.
The allegations prompted action from Capitol Hill. Senate Democrats called for a probe into Patel’s jet usage. If investigators from the US Government Accountability Office launch a formal inquiry, they would examine the frequency of these trips, their stated purposes, and the total cost to taxpayers.
The controversy over government aircraft comes as Patel attempted to deflect criticism by pointing to his predecessors’ travel practices. During his Fox News appearance, he insisted that scrutiny should focus on Comey’s and Wray’s travel records rather than on his own conduct.
The convergence of missed deadlines, alleged misuse of government resources, and questions about his presence at FBI headquarters has created mounting pressure on Trump’s hand-picked FBI chief. The budget shortfall alone represents a significant management failure, as the agency requires congressional approval for funding well in advance of the fiscal year.
Patel’s request for increased funding, while missing the budget deadline and facing scrutiny over personal travel expenses, has complicated the FBI’s relationship with appropriators on Capitol Hill. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee must now weigh the bureau’s funding needs against concerns about leadership and fiscal responsibility.
The situation also highlights tensions between Trump’s cost-cutting agenda and the operational realities of running a major federal law enforcement agency. The planned $1 billion budget cut conflicts directly with Patel’s funding proposal, creating an apparent $2 billion gap between the White House’s vision and the FBI director’s request.
As the controversy continues, questions mount about whether Patel can effectively manage the FBI while maintaining his current work arrangement between Las Vegas and Washington. The allegations and missed deadlines have provided ammunition to critics who questioned his qualifications for the position from the outset.
The coming weeks will prove critical as Congress evaluates the FBI’s budget request and potentially investigates the director’s use of government aircraft. For now, the agency continues operating under its current funding levels while awaiting resolution of both the budget impasse and the broader questions surrounding Patel’s leadership style and priorities.
