Kash Patel pushed back sharply after hisalleged drinking on the job practiceswere raised by Senator Chris Van Hollen during a recent hearing. Instead of simply repeating his denials, the FBI director turned the focus on Van Hollen and accused him of misconduct.
The two men's heated exchange ended with both parties saying they were prepared to undergo tests that could show neither had been drinking illegally. They said the tests should be carried out side by side, potentially to ensure that the results could not be manipulated.
On Tuesday, Patel and Van Hollen appeared at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing when the senator raised concerns about the FBI chief's alleged drinking habits. The Atlantic had published an article alleging that Patel not only drank on the job but had at times been heavily intoxicated while performing his duties. Patel rejected the allegations and has since filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine, insisting the claims are false and politically motivated.
Patel has said he is willing to undergo any test that would prove he is sober. Despite his denials and the ongoing lawsuit, Van Hollen still raised the issue during Tuesday's hearing. He said he did not care what Patel did in his personal life, but argued that it became a concern if it interfered with his public duties.
'You cannot perform those public duties if you're incapacitated,' Hollensaid.
NEW: Senator Chris Van Hollen's questioning of FBI Director Kash Patel completely backfires after he asked Patel about allegations of his drinking habits.Van Hollen: "Multiple reports have alleged episodes of excessive drinking..."Patel: "The only person that was slinging…pic.twitter.com/a0Wl2ODwRj
Patel fired back by accusing Van Hollen of 'slinging margaritas with a known felon,' a reference to the senator's meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador after Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported there. Van Hollen has since denied that anyone drank margaritas during their meeting, saying the appearance of drinks on the table was a political stunt and that only water or coffee was served.
The back-and-forth continued for several minutes until Van Hollen asked Patel if he would be willing to take a test to measure whether he had a drinking problem. Patel replied that he would take any test that Van Hollen was willing to undergo as well.
'Let's go. Side by side,' Hollen replied.
Beyond the drinking allegations, Patel has also faced scrutiny over his decision to remove more than 10 members of his senior staff. Thefired FBI agents and analystswere all involved in investigations into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and other Trump-era probes.
Source: International Business Times UK
