WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement after meeting yesterday afternoon with Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI:
“I met with Mr. Patel yesterday to discuss his nomination to serve as FBI Director. I pressed Mr. Patel on President Trump’s release of hundreds of violent criminals this week, how Mr. Patel would respond to efforts by President Trump to use the FBI as a tool of political retribution, and Mr. Patel’s own disturbing statements calling for the weaponization of the federal government against President Trump’s political enemies. I left this meeting still concerned about Mr. Patel’s ability to put past grievances aside and focus the FBI on its core mission of keeping Americans safe.
“Mr. Patel’s nomination to lead the nation’s largest federal law enforcement agency remains alarming. I look forward to Mr. Patel’s committee hearing and the opportunity to gain greater clarity from him on his most extreme positions and previous actions.”
Senator Coons is Co-Chair of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.