‘Irresponsible joyride’: Whistleblower claims Kash Patel used FBI plane to delay Charlie Kirk assassination investigation

The new whistleblower charges raise questions about whether FBI Director Kash Patel’s use of agency aircraft delayed the FBI’s response to major crime scenes, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the Brown University mass shooting.Documents released by Sen. Dick Durbin on Tuesday said Kash Patel’s frequent use of FBI planes meant response teams were unable to move quickly when needed. Durbin said “credible whistleblowers” were concerned that the director’s travel choices would interfere with FBI operations.Durbin said in a statement that the documents were given to the committee after Patel flew to Milan on an FBI plane over the weekend. Patel traveled there to meet with U.S. personnel helping with Olympic security and to watch the men’s hockey final, which the U.S. won 2-1 in overtime.“Since Kash Patel was confirmed as FBI Director, he appears to have engaged in irresponsible joyrides on aircraft operated by the Department of Justice and the FBI, to the detriment of American taxpayers and to the bureau’s ongoing operations,” Durbin said.According to a letter Durbin sent Tuesday, Patel used one of the FBI’s two available aircraft to influence the bureau’s evidence response team in December. The whistleblower alleges that Patel used one plane to travel to South Florida and reserved another plane for a team not typically needed during the Brown University mass shooting. As a result, the evidence response team did not have appropriate transportation.The letter also said that the arrival of another team at the scene of Charlie Kirk’s assassination last year was delayed by a day “due to a shortage of aircraft and pilots within the bureau due to the director’s private flight.”“Information from credible whistleblowers clearly demonstrates that the Director’s misuse and mismanagement of these aircraft not only caused problems for taxpayers but also severely undermined the mission of the agency he was sworn to lead,” Durbin wrote.FBI spokesman Ben Williamson denied that claim. He said Patel ensured that aircraft were available when needed. “If the director happened to be out of town, no matter what, he always had a plane available if needed — and that’s what was done here,” Williamson said. He added: “It’s not necessary.”An FBI official told MSNOW that Patel used the plane to visit his elderly parents in December. Property records reviewed by the outlet show his parents live in South Florida.Since taking office, Patel’s travels have been closely scrutinized, including to visit his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins.Dubin wrote on social media, “Kash Patel used taxpayer money to go to the Olympics. This is an irresponsible joyride and a complete waste of our money. He should compensate you. I am investigating.”