FBI Director Kash Patel, 46, has been seen bringing personalized bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon to official engagements and distributing them to bureau staff and civilians, according toThe Atlanticon Wednesday, citing eight current and former FBI and Department of Justice employees.
Each 750ml bottle of the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey carries a custom engraving reading 'Kash Patel FBI Director' alongside the FBI shield, his preferred stylisation 'Ka$h', and the number 9, described by the publication as a likely reference to his position among bureau directors. Some are also signed.
Exclusive: FBI Director Kash Patel has distributed “Ka$h”-branded bottles of bourbon to bureau staff and civilians, multiple people in Patel’s orbit tell Sarah Fitzpatrick.https://t.co/avCGFbI4L3pic.twitter.com/2QRQfolHg2
Brown-Forman, the parent company behind the brand, quickly moved to distance itself. Elizabeth Conway, a company spokesperson, toldKentucky Lanternthat such engravings typically happen after the point of purchase through local retailers. Conway added that the company has 'no records indicating this engraving occurred at the Woodford Reserve Distillery.'
Patel and his team have reportedly used a Department of Justice aircraft to transport the branded whiskey.
During a February trip to Milan for the Winter Olympics, he was filmed sharing drinks with the gold medal-winning US men's hockey team, and one personalised bottle was later found in an Italian locker room. That behaviour reportedly did not sit well with President Donald Trump, who does not drink.
A source sent me this video of FBI Director Kash Patel partying with the US Men's Olympic Hockey team.pic.twitter.com/egjmdhOAF6
A separate incident reportedly unfolded in March at the FBI's Quantico training facility, where Patel had brought at least one case for a seminar involving Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes. When a bottle went missing, he allegedly threatened staff with polygraph tests and prosecution.
In a statement toThe Atlantic, the bureau framed the practice as longstanding, calling branded gifts 'part of a tradition in the FBI that started well over a decade ago.' It added that Patel 'has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself.'
Woodford Reserve is produced at a distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, where bourbon has been made since 1812. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000, the site is home to the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and one of the more recognised names in American whiskey.
Source: International Business Times UK
