This is the second known instance of Mr. Patel breaking hostage recovery protocol to inappropriately insert himself in a sensitive or high-profile recovery mission
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Defense (DOD), the State Department, and the Department of Treasury requesting they produce all relevant materials related to alleged misconduct by Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee to be Director of the FBI, related to the rescue of two Americans held captive by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen. Allegedly, Mr. Patel publicly commented without authorization and prior to the confirmed safe retrieval of the two hostages. If true, Mr. Patel appears to have inappropriately involved himself in a sensitive operation with no regard to the safety of the hostages or the success of the mission.
Durbin wrote, “I have recently received highly credible information revealing that while serving in the first Trump Administration’s National Security Council, Kash Patel broke protocol regarding hostage rescues by publicly commenting without authorization on the then in-progress retrieval of two Americans held captive by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen in October 2020.”
On October 14, 2020, the Wall Street Journal first published comments from Mr. Patel regarding the hostage swap at 10:55 a.m., several hours before the hostages were confirmed to be in the custody of the United States. In the wake of multiple failed hostage recovery missions, the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell was created in 2015 as a multi-agency group housed in the FBI tasked with coordinating the recovery of Americans held hostage abroad and improving communications with impacted families and the public. The Fusion Cell’s specific protocols are in place to help protect the privacy of impacted families and ensure the timing for public acknowledgement of a hostage rescue effort does not endanger these sensitive life-or-death missions.
The letter continued, “The information my office received alleges that Mr. Patel inserted himself inappropriately in a hostage recovery mission and violated these protocols. Mr. Patel, prior to his interview with the Wall Street Journal and contrary to his public assertions, allegedly had no role in the planning, negotiations, or execution of this hostage recovery. The source also alleges the interagency communications were clear that there would be no public comment until after the recovery was complete, and the families were notified.”
“Mr. Patel’s nomination to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Among the many qualities and qualifications the Senate must consider when reviewing presidential appointments is whether the nominee has the requisite character and fitness to be entrusted with the authority of their position. This is the second known instance of Mr. Patel breaking hostage recovery protocol to inappropriately insert himself in a sensitive or high-profile recovery mission. An official who puts missions and the lives of Americans in jeopardy for public notoriety and personal gain is unfit to lead the country’s primary federal law enforcement and investigation agency. This Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the FBI and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead the Bureau,” the letter wrote.
In the letter, Durbin requests the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell protocols for public acknowledgement of successful hostage rescue missions, communications between the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell and Mr. Patel, and all of the cables regarding the rescue mission during the relevant four days in order to validate this new allegation. Durbin requests all relevant information no later than January 30, the date of Mr. Patel’s confirmation hearing.
In October 2020, Mr. Patel was accused of breaking protocol and incorrectly providing foreign airspace approval during the rescue of Philip Walton in northern Nigeria.
Full text of the letter is available here and below.
January 27, 2025
Dear Acting Director Driscoll, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, and Acting Secretary Lebryk:
I have recently received highly credible information revealing that while serving in the first Trump Administration’s National Security Council, Kash Patel broke protocol regarding hostage rescues by publicly commenting without authorization on the then in-progress retrieval of two Americans held captive by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen in October 2020.
On October 14, 2020, the Wall Street Journal first published comments from Mr. Patel regarding the hostage swap at 10:55 a.m., several hours before the hostages were in confirmed custody of the United States. In the wake of multiple failed hostage recovery missions, the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell was created in 2015 as a multi-agency group housed in the FBI tasked with coordinating the recovery of Americans held hostage abroad and improving communications with impacted families and the public. The specific protocols are in place to help protect the privacy of the impacted families and ensure the timing for public acknowledgement of a hostage rescue effort does not endanger these sensitive life-or-death missions. The information my office received alleges that Mr. Patel inserted himself inappropriately in a hostage recovery mission and violated these protocols. Mr. Patel, prior to his interview with the Wall Street Journal and contrary to his public assertions, allegedly had no role in the planning, negotiations, or execution of this hostage recovery. The source also alleges the interagency communications were clear that there would be no public comment until after the recovery was complete, and the families were notified.
Mr. Patel’s nomination to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Among the many qualities and qualifications the Senate must consider when reviewing presidential appointments is whether the nominee has the requisite character and fitness to be entrusted with the authority of their position. This is the second known instance of Mr. Patel breaking hostage recovery protocol to inappropriately insert himself in a sensitive or high-profile recovery mission. An official who puts missions and the lives of Americans in jeopardy for public notoriety and personal gain is unfit to lead the country’s primary federal law enforcement and investigation agency. This Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the FBI and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead the Bureau. To those ends, please provide the following information:
Please provide these materials as soon as possible, and no later than January 30, 2025. I appreciate your prompt attention to this important request.
Sincerely,
-30-