Kash Patel Hints At Major Russia Investigation Reveal

FBI Director Kash Patel teased a coming “wave of transparency” with regard to the Russiagate controversy that dogged President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.

In a Fox News interview alongside Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Patel spoke to “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo about reviving trust in the bureau years after the scandal that they have long examined and criticized. Trump signed an order in March for the declassification of materials related to the Russia investigation, codenamed “Crossfire Hurricane,” led by the FBI. Just The News chief investigative correspondent Jerry Dunleavy has already begun to report some of their contents.

“I can speak to the folks that were in our seats, our predecessors, and they intentionally failed the American public by putting on the biggest D.C. deception game we have ever seen. They said the FBI was the most storied institution for law enforcement, and it was. And it will be again very soon,” Patel said.

Patel then made reference to several major Russiagate figures who previously served in the bureau: former Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former agent Peter Strzok, and former General Counsel James Baker. The interview, which aired Sunday, was recorded before federal authorities opened an investigation into Comey over a social media post that some have taken to be a threat against Trump. Comey denies that he intended to call for violence.

“But when the likes of Comey and McCabe and Strzok and company came in here with the James Bakers of the world and intentionally lied to a federal court, only to rig a presidential election by lying to the American public and using taxpayer dollars, likely illegally, to fund this entire operation, and then withhold exculpatory information from a federal court that I used to appear before to manhunt terrorists, that’s what broke the FBI,” Patel said, referring to a FISA scandal within Russiagate.

“And then, when they were caught, they lied about it,” Patel added. “And you and a few others like Dan and others were brave enough to cover it six, seven, eight years ago. And we’re still talking about it today, because, as Congress is working rigorously with us, the Crossfire Hurricane documents are coming fast and hard. And they’re being sent there unredacted, so we can have full accountability. And that’s how you restore … the trust that was lost to the American public when it comes to the FBI.”

Bartiromo pushed back.

“Yes, but, come on, Director. With all due respect, we have been talking about this for a long time, and I have been demanding accountability for many, many years,” she said. “One of the — you mentioned Comey, Strzok and the rest. They have got TV shows. They have got media platforms. They’re fine. There’s been no accountability.”

In response to what he conceded was “a fair criticism,” Patel emphasized the situation is now different.

“What I will tell people is, we weren’t here in the FBI in the last five years, when we had statute of limitations that were still in play, where we could have investigated criminal conduct. Most of these statute of limitations are five years old,” Patel said. “And we will investigate criminal conduct where we find a righteous case to do so and the law and the facts allow us to. But a lot of it, we’re precluded from. So we will take the criticism, and it’s rightfully so, that could we have done more in the past? Sure, people before us could have.”

He continued: “But what we can do now is continue to put out the documents and the information that these people withheld from the American public. And I’m just telling you, right now, as much as we know about Crossfire Hurricane, he and I just found out more last week. And we’re continuing to work with Congress to put those documents out. That’s how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. Not only did they bastardize the FISA process and lie to the American public. They withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren’t supposed to look. And it’s a good thing we’re here now to clean it up, and you’re about to see a wave of transparency.”

Pressed to explain what he meant, Patel added with a smile, “Just give us about a week or two.”