In a final attempt to block President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats are calling for a second hearing to further scrutinize Kash Patel’s nomination—despite Patel having already undergone nearly six hours of questioning and providing comprehensive documentation of his record. Democrats argue that Patel, a former intelligence and defense official, gave misleading testimony and must answer additional questions.
“In order to discharge our constitutional duty, we must have a full and accurate understanding of Mr. Patel’s record,” Democrats wrote in a filing with the panel. “The Committee must fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the 38,000 employees of the FBI nationwide to ensure that a Director confirmed by the Senate possesses the requisite characteristics of truthfulness, trustworthiness, and regard for the protection of classified information befitting of the FBI.”
“Although there is no legal prohibition barring Mr. Patel from discussing the testimony he provided to the grand jury, Mr. Patel was wholly unwilling to answer questions posed by members of the Committee relating to his grand jury testimony and the circumstances that led him to assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination,” they continued.
The Democratic senators stated that they plan to question Patel about the dismissals of several FBI leaders by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, seeking to determine if Patel had any involvement. Additionally, they aim to clarify “apparent falsehoods” in Patel’s previous testimony to the committee. “Kash Patel’s nomination must be delayed until we can fully evaluate his misleading testimony,” Senate Judiciary Democrats wrote on X.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), one of the most partisan left-wing Democrats in the Senate, said Wednesday on the floor of the chamber: “He [Patel] has an attitude, and to think this man will be in charge of 38,000 FBI agents and personnel, 400 field offices across the nation and around the world. It’s going to have the authority to investigate those who he chooses. It’s frightening. His message in politics is get even.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), however, dismissed the request. In a letter to his Democratic colleagues, Grassley rejected it outright, labeling it a political maneuver aimed at delaying Trump’s law-and-order agenda. “Long before his hearing, Committee Democrats made clear that they stridently opposed Mr. Patel’s nomination,” Grassley wrote. “The American people saw this unfounded opposition play out in his hearing, which devolved into unfair mischaracterizations of his record and attacks on his integrity.”
