FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly canceled a planned trip to visit his girlfriend in Chicago as his plane was on the tarmac when frustrated White House officials summoned him to Washington for a meeting.
“Patel was coming (to Chicago) today for a fake office visit for his girlfriend’s country concert this weekend,” a source briefed on the trip told MS Now.
The outlet reported that while the precise reason for the meeting was unclear, Trump administration officials have been growing increasingly “disturbed” by Patel’s recent actions, including his plans to leave town amid the re-escalation of the Iran war and the alleged threats against the president, as well as his Friday morning tweet claiming to own a “gold plated” jet ski.
In a social media post, Patel called the report by MS Now “all false except one thing.”
“I was at the White House, true, and the fake news will find out why soon,” he added.
White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X there was “no frustration” over Patel’s jet ski tweet and said reports painting the FBI leader as under fire from the administration were “completely false.”
The FBI and White House referred to the above tweets when asked for comment by The Independent.
Patel is facing growing scrutiny over his alleged conduct.
Democrats in the House and Senate are investigating Patel to see if he misused taxpayer funds for department purchases and recreational travel.
In a July 8 letter, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Dick Durbin alleged Patel had been accused of demanding “perks” during international travel, including “VIP snorkeling” trips in Hawaii, plus jet skiing and helicopter during FBI business.
The lawmakers also claimed there was concern an FBI attache in Wellington, New Zealand “may have been established in part to facilitate or justify a sightseeing trip there.”
In a previous statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for the FBI said the allegations in the letter are “completely false.”
Patel has “reimbursed ALL personal travel and expenses, strictly following the Office of Management and Budget rules, in the exact same manner as all previous FBI Directors — and is fully compliant,” the bureau said.
Democrats aren’t the only ones raising concerns.
In May, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley asked Patel to explain why the FBI purchased several BMW x5 SUVs for his use, despite the agency’s long-standing policy of Chevrolet Suburban SUVs.
The FBI has said the agency bought the cars from the State Department and that the vehicles were “sitting idle and unused in their warehouse.”
Earlier this year, a report in The Atlantic claimed that Patel was paranoid and drinking excessively.
Patel denied the claims and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine.
A viral video of Patel chugging a beer while celebrating with the victorious U.S. Olympic hockey team in Milan reportedly angered President Donald Trump, who personally shared his disappointment at the time, MS Now reported.
Patel is dating country singer Alexis Wilkins and was planning to attend her performance at a country music festival held in Chicago on Saturday, MS Now reports.
Patel’s staff had arranged for the director to visit the Chicago field office ahead of the now-canceled trip, the outlet added.
It is not the first time their relationship has made headlines.
Last year, he used an FBI jet to travel to Penn State to watch her perform the national anthem.
Patel has denied misusing resources for the trip, arguing that the FBI director is required to use a government jet when making certain voyages.
The director has also reportedly ruffled feathers inside the FBI by allegedly insisting on a security detail for Wilkins. Wilkins is now suing MS NOW, which reported on the alleged security detail, accusing it of “knowingly or recklessly” pushing “false allegations.”
Last month, Wilkins performed at the Trump administration’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall.
In the run-up to the event, she pushed back against criticisms she got the gig because of her Trump ties.
“I have been a country music artist for years now,” she wrote on X. “I was invited to sing this anthem on my own accord, as I have been many other places throughout my career.”
