FBI Director Kash Patel teased a coming &#8220;wave of transparency&#8221; with regard to the Russiagate controversy that dogged President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.
In a Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6373020839112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> alongside Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Patel spoke to &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; host Maria Bartiromo about reviving trust in the bureau years after the scandal that they have long examined and criticized. Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/immediate-declassification-of-materials-related-to-the-federal-bureau-of-investigations-crossfire-hurricane-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an order in March for the declassification of materials related to the Russia investigation, codenamed &#8220;Crossfire Hurricane,&#8221; led by the FBI. Just The News chief investigative correspondent Jerry Dunleavy has already <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/declassified-crossfire-hurricane-docs-shine-light-steele-clinton-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">begun to report</a> some of their contents.
&#8220;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,&#8221; 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 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/director-of-national-intel-says-comey-should-be-thrown-jail-86-trump-post" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened</a> 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.
&#8220;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&#8217;s what broke the FBI,&#8221; Patel said, referring to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-kill-fisa-as-lawmakers-consider-surveillance-reauthorization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FISA scandal</a> within Russiagate.
&#8220;And then, when they were caught, they lied about it,&#8221; Patel added. &#8220;And you and a few others like Dan and others were brave enough to cover it six, seven, eight years ago. And we&#8217;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&#8217;re being sent there unredacted, so we can have full accountability. And that&#8217;s how you restore &#8230; the trust that was lost to the American public when it comes to the FBI.&#8221;
Bartiromo pushed back.
&#8220;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,&#8221; she said. &#8220;One of the — you mentioned Comey, Strzok and the rest. They have got TV shows. They have got media platforms. They&#8217;re fine. There&#8217;s been no accountability.&#8221;
In response to what he conceded was &#8220;a fair criticism,&#8221; Patel emphasized the situation is now different.
&#8220;What I will tell people is, we weren&#8217;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,&#8221; Patel said. &#8220;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&#8217;re precluded from. So we will take the criticism, and it&#8217;s rightfully so, that could we have done more in the past? Sure, people before us could have.&#8221;
He continued: &#8220;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&#8217;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&#8217;re continuing to work with Congress to put those documents out. That&#8217;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&#8217;t supposed to look. And it&#8217;s a good thing we&#8217;re here now to clean it up, and you&#8217;re about to see a wave of transparency.&#8221;
Pressed to explain what he meant, Patel added with a smile, &#8220;Just give us about a week or two.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;WAVE OF TRANSPARENCY&#039;: FBI director hints at agency&#039;s move to rebuild Americans&#039; trust" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqI_sFSPbJQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

FBI Director Kash Patel

Kash Patel Hints At Major Russia Investigation Reveal

Dan Bongino

Donald Trump

James Comey

kash patel

Authorities have identified the deceased suspect in a vehicle explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, over the weekend, which they are treating as an act of domestic terrorism.
The suspect is Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of nearby Twentynine Palms, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli <a href="https://x.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1924155038236365096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in a Sunday post on X.
&#8220;Bartkus is believed to be the individual who is deceased at the scene. Investigators are working to positively identify the remains,&#8221; Essayli said. &#8220;An anti pro-life manifesto believed to be authored by the suspect has been located and is being examined by the FBI.&#8221;
He continued: &#8220;We are happy to report that no embryos at the IVF center were damaged by the explosion. This case is being treated as an intentional act of domestic terrorism. The investigation is ongoing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Palm Springs Explosion Update:
We can now confirm the identity of the suspect is Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of 29 Palms.
Bartkus is believed to be the individual who is deceased at the scene. Investigators are working to positively identify the remains.
An anti pro-life…
— U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1924155038236365096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A vehicle exploded on Saturday in a parking lot outside of the American Reproductive Centers (ARC) facility, ARC said in post on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmericanReproductiveCenters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>. The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-18/palm-springs-clinic-bombing-authorities-probe-suspect-motive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that there was &#8220;extensive damage&#8221; to the ARC clinic and vitro fertilization lab at the location, as well as blown-out windows in buildings blocks away.
While several people were <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/person-of-interest-in-palm-springs-ivf-clinic-explosion-is-dead-officials-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> injured in the blast, ARC said no members of its team were harmed. ARC further shared that all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials remained &#8220;fully secure and undamaged&#8221; in the lab.
In a post on X, the FBI&#8217;s Los Angeles field office said the vehicle in the explosion was a silver Ford Fusion sedan with the plate 8HWS848. The bureau also <a href="https://x.com/FBILosAngeles/status/1924160131798839439" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a photo of the suspect and requested the public share with it any information or upload any relevant video and images.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The FBI has identified Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of 29 Palms as the primary suspect in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PalmSprings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PalmSprings</a> vehicle explosion. The vehicle was a silver Ford Fusion sedan, plate 8HWS848. Please call 1800 CALLFBI with information or upload relevant video/images at <a href="https://t.co/CnxyRN1YIv">https://t.co/CnxyRN1YIv</a> <a href="https://t.co/dYAG26xCYY">pic.twitter.com/dYAG26xCYY</a>
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBILosAngeles/status/1924160131798839439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A search warrant was executed at a location in Twentynine Palms in connection to the explosion, Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI&#8217;s Los Angeles field office, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/palm-springs-explosion-riverside-county-southern-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press conference. He also stressed that officials did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community despite some residents being evacuated in the area.
Davis additionally mentioned that Bartkus &#8220;had nihilistic ideations and this was a targeted attack&#8221; against the fertility clinic. He noted later: &#8220;We believe he was attempting to livestream it and, yes, that is also part of our investigation.&#8221;
ARC said it &#8220;will be fully operational on Monday morning, and our team is here to answer any concerns you may have,&#8221; adding, &#8220;We appreciate the incredible support from our patients and local community, as well as the swift action of Palm Springs Police, Fire, and emergency responders.&#8221;

Explosion Near Fertility Clinic In Palm Springs, CA Leaves One Dead

Suspected Fertility Clinic Bomber Had ‘Anti Pro-Life Manifesto,’ Authorities Say

California

Crime

Department of Justice

Explosion

Terrorism

U.S.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday that the bureau&#8217;s J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., which has been the agency&#8217;s headquarters for 50 years, would shut down as he seeks to move agents out of the nation&#8217;s capital.
Patel made the surprise announcement during a <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6372897577112">preview clip</a> of Fox News&#8217; Sunday Morning Futures, which was released on Friday morning, alongside Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know I was going to do this, but I&#8217;m going to announce it on your show anyway: this FBI is leaving the Hoover Building,&#8221; Patel said. &#8220;Because this building is unsafe for our workforce. We want the American men and women to know, if you&#8217;re going to come work at the premier law enforcement agency in the world, we&#8217;re going to give you a building that&#8217;s commensurate with that, and that&#8217;s not this place.&#8221;
Bongino laughed as Patel made the announcement, telling him, &#8220;You just gave up a big nugget there.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Director Kash Patel announces the FBI will be leaving the J. Edgar Hoover building <a href="https://t.co/VfJ1LnrJK6">pic.twitter.com/VfJ1LnrJK6</a>
&mdash; ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) <a href="https://twitter.com/alx/status/1923362159192342715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A year before he became FBI director, Patel <a href="https://rollcall.com/2025/02/20/senate-confirms-kash-patel-as-fbi-director/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would &#8220;shut down the FBI Hoover building on Day 1 and [reopen it the] next day as a museum of the deep state.&#8221; He added that he would &#8220;take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals.&#8221; The FBI director has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kash-patel-to-relocate-hundreds-of-fbi-staff-out-of-dc-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushing</a> major changes to the bureau, including increased &#8220;accountability&#8221; and a return to more traditional law enforcement roles.
For more than two decades, the FBI has been considering moving out of the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which was completed in 1975. A <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-12-96.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2011 report</a> from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the building needed serious repairs and was &#8220;inefficient&#8221; for the FBI&#8217;s needs. Former President Joe Biden <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/washington-fbi-headquarters-hoover-building-deteriorating-pennsylvania-avenue-set-for-move-suburbs-2022-president-joe-biden-budget-fiscal-year-2023-it-infrastructure-greenbelt-metro-station-landover-gsa-warehouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included</a> language in his 2023 fiscal year budget to get the ball rolling on a brand new 2.1 million-square-foot headquarters for the bureau in Maryland that would house around 7,500 employees. The project would cost $2.5 billion.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/maryland-washington-dc-fbi-headquarters-greenbelt-president-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in March, however, that he is putting a stop to those plans, and instead, wants to &#8220;build another big FBI building right where it is, which would have been the right place because the FBI and the DOJ [Department of Justice] have to be near each other.&#8221;
&#8220;They were going to build an FBI headquarters three hours away in Maryland, a liberal state,&#8221; Trump said, adding, &#8220;But we&#8217;re going to stop it, not going to let that happen.&#8221;
Patel also said he wants to reduce the number of FBI employees in the D.C. area.
&#8220;Look, the FBI has 38,000 when we&#8217;re fully manned, which we&#8217;re not,&#8221; Patel told Fox News. &#8220;In the national capital region, in the 50-mile radius around Washington, D.C., there were 11,000 FBI employees. That&#8217;s like a third of the workforce. A third of the crime doesn&#8217;t happen here, so we&#8217;re taking 1,500 of those folks and moving them out.&#8221;

Kash Patel

Kash Patel Says FBI Is Shutting Down D.C. HQ

General

Politics

Trump Administration

Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump said Friday that former FBI Director James Comey knew what he was doing when he posted a picture on social media that was interpreted by many as a threat against his life.
Trump was responding to a picture Comey posted on Instagram showing seashells on a beach arranged to form the numbers “86” and “47” with the caption &#8220;cool shell formation on my walk.&#8221; Trump officials have initiated investigations into Comey, as &#8220;86&#8221; can be used as slang for killing someone, and Trump is the 47th president. Comey deleted the post, saying that he did not mean to imply that Trump should be killed and that he assumed the shells were a &#8220;political message.&#8221;
&#8220;He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant… that meant assassination,&#8221; Trump told Fox News in an interview. &#8220;And it says it loud and clear. Now he wasn’t very confident but he was confident enough to know what that meant.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on former FBI Director James Comey&#8217;s &#8220;86 47&#8221; threat: &#8220;He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant &#8230; That meant &#8216;assassination.'&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/LfOHKfSOFa">pic.twitter.com/LfOHKfSOFa</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1923352571009278218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“He did it for a reason and he was hit so hard because people like me and they like what’s happening with our country,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;Our country’s become respected again and all this. And he’s calling for the assassination of the president.”
When Fox News host Bret Baier asked what he would like to see happen to Comey, Trump said he would leave it up to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I think it&#8217;s a terrible thing,” Trump said. “If he had a clean history, he doesn’t, he’s a dirty cop, he’s a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history, I could understand if there’s a leniency, but I’m going to let them make that decision.”
Comey removed the post after backlash, saying he was unaware of the association of &#8220;86&#8221; with violence.
“I posted a picture earlier of some shells I saw on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey said. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/director-of-national-intel-says-comey-should-be-thrown-jail-86-trump-post?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Tulsi+Gabbard+Says+Comey+Should+Be+Thrown+In+Jail+For+‘86′+Trump+Post" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday that she believed that Comey should be put in jail for the post, saying that he was essentially issuing a call for Trump to be assassinated.
Trump survived two assassination attempts while campaigning last year, including one where a bullet struck him in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s First Year In The Oval Office

‘That Meant Assassination’: Trump Says Comey Knew ‘Exactly’ What ’86’ Post Implied

Executive

Political Violence

Former FBI Director James Comey landed himself in hot water over what he claimed was a &#8220;shell formation&#8221; that he&#8217;d just happened to stumble upon while walking down the beach.
Comey&#8217;s photo, which he shared via Instagram, showed seashells arranged to form the numbers &#8220;86&#8221; and &#8220;47&#8221; — which was interpreted to mean &#8220;get rid of&#8221; President Donald Trump, the 47th president. It quickly caught the attention of a number of critics — including current FBI Director Kash Patel.
&#8220;Cool shell formation on my beach walk,&#8221; he captioned the since-deleted post.
&#8220;Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!&#8221; Donald Trump Jr. posted via X.
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Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered.
This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!! <a href="https://t.co/4LUK6crHAT">pic.twitter.com/4LUK6crHAT</a>
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1923118680658862260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;James Comey is posting cryptic messages online alluding to getting rid of President Trump. Would he like to explain what he means by this given the assassination attempts on President Trump? Take a look @FBIDirectorKash @FBI,&#8221; Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
James Comey is posting cryptic messages online alluding to getting rid of President Trump.
Would he like to explain what he means by this given the assassination attempts on President Trump?
Take a look, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIDirectorKash</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>. <a href="https://t.co/NxnDM3xyti">pic.twitter.com/NxnDM3xyti</a>
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1923135946976849958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Don&#8217;t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump. James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service. Also is everyone mentally ill?&#8221; Meghan McCain posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don&#8217;t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump.
James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service.
Also is everyone mentally ill? <a href="https://t.co/Gn4Hbpn98f">https://t.co/Gn4Hbpn98f</a>
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeghanMcCain/status/1923122924531126387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is a direct THREAT against President Trump, who has already survived two assassination attempts. BEYOND despicable. James Comey MUST face consequences,&#8221; Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is a direct THREAT against President Trump, who has already survived two assassination attempts.
BEYOND despicable. James Comey MUST face consequences. <a href="https://t.co/CVkXt0T1CO">pic.twitter.com/CVkXt0T1CO</a>
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTuberville/status/1923147738142625970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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FBI Director Kash Patel responded via X, saying that the Bureau was aware of the post and was looking into the matter.
&#8220;We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump. We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump. We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1923151715777356062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Comey deleted the photo, following up with a post claiming that he&#8217;d just happened on the shells already arranged that way and had assumed the message was political rather than threatening.
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJsN4GAPoxY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Comey (@comey)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
&#8220;I posted a picture earlier of some shells I saw on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,&#8221; Comey said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.&#8221;
Critics didn&#8217;t buy Comey&#8217;s explanation, however.
Greg Price commented, &#8220;Comey deleted his threat against President Trump and posted a statement claiming he just randomly stumbled across Trump derangement syndrome shell art and had no idea what it meant. Yes, I&#8217;m sure the guy who once ran the FBI was just clueless on this one.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Comey deleted his threat against President Trump and posted a statement claiming he just randomly stumbled across Trump derangement syndrome shell art and had no idea what it meant.
Yes, I&#8217;m sure the guy who once ran the FBI was just clueless on this one. <a href="https://t.co/CjtJIzIxDL">pic.twitter.com/CjtJIzIxDL</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1923145561596641529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Disgraced Former FBI Chief Deletes ‘86 47′ Post That Got Kash Patel’s Attention

Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) did her best to force feed her pre-selected narrative into FBI Director Kash Patel&#8217;s mouth during a Thursday hearing — but when Patel immediately called her out, refusing to take the bait, Murray substituted her own testimony for his.
Murray began by questioning Patel about whether or not he was &#8220;weaponizing&#8221; the FBI, prompting him to lay out a series of the bureau&#8217;s more recent cases as evidence that the men and women of the FBI were doing their jobs and doing them well.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Kash Patel just WRECKED Patty Murray
KASH: “I think the common theme is you putting words in my mouth, and I’m not going to tolerate it.”
“If you wanna talk about someone who was attacked by a weaponized bureau, you’re looking at him. And now he’s the Director of the FBI”… <a href="https://t.co/YX031HzTIF">pic.twitter.com/YX031HzTIF</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1920483591932248089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;That&#8217;s not my question,&#8221; Murray interrupted. &#8220;We know that —&#8221;
&#8220;Well, you asked if I was weaponizing the FBI and I am not,&#8221; Patel pushed back. &#8220;I&#8217;m giving you the hard concrete examples of the men and women putting handcuffs on bad people doing harm to our children and innocent Americans. I do not see weaponization.&#8221;
&#8220;But you have placed on leave FBI employees responsible for the investigation of January 6th,&#8221; Murray asserted. &#8220;That sounds political to me.&#8221;
&#8220;I have not placed anyone on leave who has not violated their ethical obligation or their oath to the Constitution,&#8221; Patel replied.
&#8220;So &#8230; if they were investigating January 6th, you believe they were violating an ethic — obligation —&#8221; Murray tried again.
&#8220;No,&#8221; Patel said. &#8220;I think the common theme is you putting words in my mouth, and I’m not going to tolerate it, nor will the men and women of the FBI.&#8221;
Murray pressed onward: &#8220;Well, you did place on leave an analyst responsible for investigating Russia&#8217;s meddling in the 2016 election. Is that politicization? Is that retribution?&#8221;
&#8220;No. Not if she broke the law or the ethical guidelines,&#8221; Patel shot back. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know which case you&#8217;re talking about, but that&#8217;s the standard, and we will hold ourselves inwardly accountable and we will not be strayed from our mission because people think we are &#8216;politicizing&#8217; the bureau.&#8221;
&#8220;If you want to talk about someone who was attacked by a weaponized bureau, you’re looking at him. And now he’s the Director of the FBI and he&#8217;s cleaning it up,&#8221; Patel continued.
Murray, upon realizing that she was not going to be able to get Patel to say what she wanted him to, shifted gears then and testified herself.
&#8220;I would just say to everyone who&#8217;s listening that the FBI needs to be focused on its mission to keep the entire country safe,&#8221; she said, giving no evidence that the bureau, under Patel, was not doing exactly that. &#8220;It should not be weaponized for partisan political gain. Thank you.&#8221;

Dem Senator Tries To Force Feed Testimony To Kash Patel. It Doesn’t Work, So She Testifies Instead.

Dem Senator Tries To Force Feed Testimony To Kash Patel. It Doesn't Work, So She Testifies Instead.

Congress

Democrat

U.S. Senate

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albany, New York, have reportedly begun a formal criminal investigation into the real estate and mortgage transactions of New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James.
Last month, William J. Pulte, director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that James might have “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms.” He said James had “potentially included … falsifying residence status for a Norfolk, Virginia-based home in order to secure a lower mortgage rate and … misrepresenting property descriptions to meet stringent requirements for government backed loans and government assistance.” He pointed out, “Primary residence mortgages receive more favorable loan terms, including lower interest rates, than secondary residence mortgages.”
Two weeks ago, James’ attorney, Abbe Lowell, wrote a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25913822-nyag-james-letter-to-ag-bondi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Bondi, stating, “I write to address the latest act of improper political retribution—this time directed at Ms. James—publicly instigated and endorsed by President Trump&#8230;. This so-called ‘Criminal Referral,’ which recycles long-disproven allegations and is ‘[b]ased on media reports’ lacks any credible foundation.”
“Mr. Trump has singled out Attorney General James dating back to her campaign in 2018, and ever more so during and after the trial and verdict in New York in which Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization were found liable for financial fraud and assessed a $454 million judgment,” Lowell claimed.
Lowell referred to what he called “baseless allegations,” saying:
<blockquote>
Director Pulte cherry-picked an August 17, 2023 power of attorney that mistakenly stated the property to be Ms. James’ principal residence and at the same time absolutely ignored her very clear and all caps statement two weeks earlier to the mortgage loan broker that “[t]his property WILL NOT be my primary residence[.] It will be Shamice’s primary residence.”  
</blockquote>
In 1983, James, then a recent college graduate, bought a Queens residence with her father, with some documents listing her as his “wife.’
“He asked his daughter (then a few years out of school) to help by allowing him to add her name to the mortgage application,” Lowell argued. “Mr. James filled out the mortgage material (wherein he described their relationship as being ‘spouses’) and purchased the home without his daughter’s involvement.”
“However, James, then 24 and a college graduate, signed the notarized mortgage, along with her father, on one of the document’s three pages that listed her as his ‘wife,’” the Times-Union <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/fbi-opens-formal-investigation-ny-attorney-20316868.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “One of those references to her being her father’s ‘wife’ was just below her signature. Lending experts consulted by the Times Union said that by listing themselves as husband and wife, the pair may have qualified for a loan — or received better borrowing terms — than had they not been considered a couple due to income requirements.”
James led a prosecutorial effort to investigate Trump’s business dealings, which ended with a judge ordering him, his two sons, and a Trump company official to pay more than $360 million.

NY Attorney Gen. James Holds News Conference Before Hearing On Case To Protect Citizens From Musk’s DOGE Accessing Private Data

FBI Officially Launches Probe Into New York’s Letitia James

Fraud

Investigation

Letitia James

New York

Real estate

Federal authorities say they have saved more than 100 children in an operation that resulted in the capture of more than 200 sex offenders.
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/justice-department-announces-results-operation-restore-justice">announced</a> Wednesday that the FBI arrested 205 child sex offenders throughout the country in Operation Restore Justice, part of a nationwide crackdown on child sex trafficking and abuse that the agency says “resulted in the rescue of 115 children.”
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi as she announced the operation, which took place over the course of five days. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
Among the more than 200 suspects arrested in the operation are an illegal alien from Mexico, a former Washington D.C. police officer, and a Minnesota State Trooper and Army reservist. The suspects have been charged with a range of crimes, including child sex trafficking, possessing, producing, or distributing child sexual abuse material, and online enticement of minors.
Bondi also <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/07/us-news/hundreds-of-alleged-sex-predators-arrested-by-fbi-and-doj-kash-patel-and-pam-bondi-announce/">warned</a> parents that they must keep an eye on their children&#8217;s activity online to ensure that they are not being targeted by predators. “Parents, you have to know this is so serious, your child has no right to privacy on the internet, none,” Bondi noted. “You have to monitor what your kids are doing, whether they’re playing games on the internet, on social media, any other websites that children and teenagers frequent, an online predator can find them.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said that the success of the operation, which involved agents from 55 field offices, sends a clear message to those who prey on children. “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” Patel said.
“Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

Pam Bondi and Kash Patel

Bondi Announces The Rescue Of Over 100 Children In Historic Bust Of Sexual Predators

Pam Bondi

In movies like Enemy of the State, Americans are shown a dystopian world where government surveillance turns ordinary citizens into targets, with shadowy agencies tracking their every move without oversight or accountability. Sadly, this Hollywood nightmare is now reality.
During the Biden administration, federal agencies like the FBI were secretly monitoring law-abiding gun owners through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) — tracking their lawful firearm purchases without a warrant and without ever informing those being monitored. Even Congress was kept in the dark. What once seemed like fiction is now a troubling truth, as the federal government turns its surveillance powers inward against its own people, eroding the freedoms it was meant to protect.
For years, the FBI has been surveilling the gun purchases of thousands of law-abiding citizens using the NICS system. This daily NICS Monitoring program operates without the requirement of a warrant or probable cause, and entirely outside the purview of any court. It enables federal agents to select a target for surveillance and receive a notification every time the victim purchases a firearm. Surveilled Americans have no way of ever knowing they are being tracked.
None of this information is new. Gun Owners of America has reported on the FBI’s NICS Monitoring abuses <a href="https://www.ammoland.com/2024/12/foia-shows-the-extent-of-atf-monitoring-americans-through-fbis-nics-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at length</a>, and the FBI’s warrantless surveillance program has been the subject of a years-long Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) lawsuit pitting GOA against a <a href="https://www.gunowners.org/atf-attempts-to-silence-gun-owners-of-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">belligerent</a> and uncooperative Department of Justice.
<h3>Ongoing NICS Monitoring Abuses</h3>
Naturally, being free to operate entirely without legal standards or judicial oversight, federal agents have rampantly abused NICS Monitoring, surveilling individuals engaged in all manner of innocuous activities. Without any accountability, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requested NICS Monitoring of individuals who purchased firearms in response to social unrest, those whose firearm expenditures appeared disproportionate to their income, and even persons who bought and sold firearms as a hobby.
During the Biden administration, federal agents even directed their surveillance toward ordinary Californians — like a modern-day Panopticon, where prison inmates can be secretly watched without knowing when. In a recent <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbi-weaponizes-background-checks-enforce-california-gun-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FOIA production</a>, GOA discovered that the FBI had been assisting in the enforcement of anti-gun states’ “assault weapons” bans. The FBI actually used NICS Monitoring on one individual for suspected violations of California’s unconstitutional gun regime — despite there being no evidence of any federal wrongdoing.
Thankfully, Pam Bondi’s DOJ recently <a href="https://x.com/GunOwners/status/1915855957927616648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered the FBI</a> to end the Biden-era practice of using NICS monitoring to help enforce state gun laws. But who knows how long this practice has been occurring? Because with such a low bar for monitoring, perhaps you have also been NICS Monitored, maybe for nothing more than a Facebook comment or a bumper sticker, or attendance at a political rally. Of course, you would never know either way.
<h3>FBI Weaponization Against January 6 Protesters</h3>
Now, GOA has discovered that the FBI’s surveillance program goes further than previously thought. Recently obtained FOIA documents reveal the NICS Monitoring of a person suspected of being present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In fact, in one June 6, 2023 NICS Monitoring submission, an unnamed FBI agent requested NICS Monitoring of an individual’s lawful gun purchases for a period of six months, for several “violations or potential violations” that are common J6 charges:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3) &#8211; Civil Disorder; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1) and (2) &#8211; Restricted Building or Grounds; </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(E) &#8211; Impeding Passage through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings.</li>
</ul>
Of course, this should come as no surprise. After all, the Biden-era FBI was no stranger to victimizing thousands of Trump supporters associated with January 6. On January 6 itself, the U.S. Capitol was crawling with <a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/legal-scholar-raises-concerns-over-doj-hiding-fbi-informants-jan-6">FBI informants</a>, seemingly directed to frame those attending the President’s “Save America” rally.
In the days that followed, the FBI <a href="https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/540721-intercept-reporter-fbis-rapid-collection-of-phone-records-after-capitol-riot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aggressively collected</a> cell phone data of those who had been present in Washington, DC, often without a warrant. The FBI even improperly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-fbi-surveillance-75c466a64e838ab12eaef96f6335f3cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accessed</a> information collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to target purely domestic persons and activities. And in the twilight hours of the Biden regime, the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-searches-alleged-jan-6-rioters-home-ahead-donald-trumps-return-pre-rcna137787" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to raid</a> suspected January 6ers’ homes, with FBI operations extending well into December of 2024.
But now, the United States has a new Attorney General. And when Pam Bondi took her oath of office, she <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bondi-sworn-attorney-general-mission-end-weaponization-justice-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> to end the rampant “weaponization” of the FBI and to close Biden’s chapter of hyper-partisanship and two-tiered justice for good.
That promise will ring hollow if NICS Monitoring is not dismantled. So long as the mechanism remains in place to surveil gun owners’ lawful purchases — especially with no judicial approval or oversight — there is little stopping a future administration from resuming the abuses of Biden’s FBI.
What once seemed like the stuff of Hollywood thrillers has become a sobering fact of American life. The secret surveillance of lawful gun owners through NICS Monitoring is not just a bureaucratic overreach — it’s a direct assault on the freedoms that define our nation.
To restore trust in our institutions, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel must act swiftly to end warrantless spying on law-abiding gun owners. Americans should not have to live in fear that exercising their rights will land them on a secret government watchlist. We are not characters in a movie — we are citizens of a free republic, and it’s time our government remembered that.
* * *
Erich Pratt is the Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, a national grassroots organization representing more than two million gun owners, and can be followed on X  <a href="https://twitter.com/erichmpratt">@erichmpratt.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

U.S. Special Operations Command Host Hostage Rescue Demonstration In Tampa

Gun Owners Aren’t Criminals: It’s Time To Dismantle NICS Monitoring

Gun Laws

Gun Sales

Guns

January 6

Opinion

Second Amendment

U.S. Capitol

FBI agents who knelt with Black Lives Matter protesters following George Floyd&#8217;s death have been reassigned to less coveted positions, according to insiders briefed on the matter.
The agents were photographed kneeling with Black Lives Matter protestors during the 2020 protests in Washington D.C. following George Floyd&#8217;s death.
The agency was deployed by then-Attorney General Bill Barr in June 2020 to protect federal buildings and aid in crowd control efforts in the streets as local law enforcement were being <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/03/politics/federal-authorities-washington-dc/index.html">overwhelmed</a> by BLM protestors.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: FBI agents photographed kneeling during George Floyd protest have been removed from their positions &#8211; CNN <a href="https://t.co/yCVX2a3rK9">pic.twitter.com/yCVX2a3rK9</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1917649459124560262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
FBI officials declined to explain the reassignments, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/us/politics/fbi-agents-2020-protests.html?smid=url-share">stating</a> to the New York Times, “it is our standard practice to decline to comment on personnel matters,” with many inside the bureau viewing them as demotions.
This action, first <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/30/politics/fbi-agents-blm-protest/index.html">reported</a> by CNN, aligns with President Donald Trump&#8217;s campaign promise to root out what he has called &#8220;woke&#8221; and politicized elements within law enforcement.
The kneeling incident occurred when agents assigned to protect federal monuments were confronted by protesters, with the agents claiming that their tactic prevented potential violence.
Photos of the incident sparked fierce internal backlash inside the FBI, with some agents being ostracized by colleagues who viewed the gesture as politically charged, and put the agents at a tactical disadvantage if confrontation did occur.
While former bureau leadership determined the agents hadn&#8217;t violated policy, the incident became a focal point for Trump and the GOP, who cited it as evidence of politicization within the law enforcement agency.
Legal experts note that while the FBI can transfer employees at will so long as they maintain the same pay and position, the agents could potentially pursue legal options if their reassignments were motivated by reprisal or discrimination.
Many Americans expressed frustration in 2020 when various police departments and federal agencies appeared to take political stances during nationwide protests that caused an <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2020/09/16/abc-nbc-spike-mostly-peaceful-protests-leaving-2-billion?utm_source=chatgpt.com">estimated</a> $1-2 billion in property damage and resulted in dozens of deaths.

Police Shooting Death Of Young Black Man Near Minneapolis Sparks Protests

FBI Pushes Out Agents Who Knelt With BLM Protestors In 2020

Black Lives Matter

George Floyd

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday that federal agents arrested a Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, judge who is suspected of helping an illegal immigrant from Mexico evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Last week, ICE agents showed up at a Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest a Mexican citizen after a hearing before Judge Hannah Dugan. The judge directed ICE agents to wait in Chief Judge Carl Ashley&#8217;s office and then told the defendant to exit the courtroom through a side door, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/25/fbi-investigating-allegations-that-milwaukee-judge-helped-an-immigrant-avoid-ice-arrest-dugan/83250128007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,&#8221; Patel said in a post that was initially deleted. &#8220;Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public.&#8221; It was not immediately clear why Patel chose to initially delete the post, but he <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1915800907318468626?t=HrEySSHIGQFX5NqPMVpOpQ&amp;s=19">reposted</a> the same statement a short while later.
The FBI director added that the bureau would share more information &#8220;soon&#8221; and thanked the FBI&#8217;s Milwaukee field office for its work in arresting the judge.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi also confirmed Dugan&#8217;s arrest in a<a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1915799429455516128?t=8UTJOJOvUBSzY_rn896eDg&amp;s=19"> post</a> to X, stating, &#8220;I can confirm that our @FBI agents just arrested Hannah Dugan – a county judge in Milwaukee – for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid an arrest by @ICEgov. No one is above the law.&#8221; 
According to Chief Judge Ashley, who sent an email to other judges about the incident, ICE agents showed a warrant for the illegal immigrant&#8217;s arrest and followed courthouse protocols. Dugan, who has served on the bench for nine years, responded to that email, however, saying &#8220;a warrant was not presented&#8221; to her.
ICE agents have <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/breaking/2025/04/25/milwaukee-county-judge-hannah-dugan-arrested-by-feds-at-courthouse/83270885007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">routinely</a> shown up at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in recent weeks with arrest warrants. In the past two months, two suspected illegal immigrants were arrested by federal agents in the courthouse hallways.
During Trump&#8217;s first term in office, a Massachusetts judge was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/us/politics/fbi-arrest-judge.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> by the Justice Department with obstructing immigration agents after she and a court officer allegedly helped an illegal immigrant sneak out the back door of the courthouse. The federal government later dropped the charges after the judge agreed to go through potential judicial discipline.

FBI Arrests Judge Accused Of ‘Intentionally’ Misdirecting ICE Agents Away From Illegal Immigrant

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Judge

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

A former intelligence officer with the U.S. Army was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison for selling critical military documents to an individual believed to be tied to the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/army-intelligence-officer-pleads-guilty-to-selling-defense-information-to-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> last year to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for sensitive government information. The sale of the documents, which included information on American military technology, took place over a three-year period from May 2022 to March 2024, according to the Justice Department. 
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-us-army-intelligence-analyst-sentenced-selling-sensitive-military-information">said</a> Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
He could have faced 65 years in prison if given the maximum on all counts.
Schultz was paid $42,000 for sending the information to an unidentified foreign national living in Hong Kong believed to be connected to the Chinese government.
The information that he provided included his unit&#8217;s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe, information applying lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, technical manuals for the Army&#8217;s HH-60 helicopter and F-22A fighter aircraft, manuals on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems, American intelligence on the Chinese military and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, details on American military exercises in South Korea and the Philippines, and documents on American military satellites and missile defense systems.
Schultz was first contacted to sell the secrets over a freelance web-based work platform by an individual pretending to work for a geopolitical consulting firm, according to the Justice Department. The department added that Schultz attempted to recruit a friend who worked for the Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command to take part in the scheme as well.
The FBI&#8217;s Nashville office led the investigation, with assistance from the Department of Defense and the Army Counterintelligence Command.
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”

ASIAD-2025-CHN-OPENING

Former Army Intel Officer Sentenced After Selling U.S. Military Secrets To China

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