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FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly exploded at an elite SWAT team he had assigned to protect his girlfriend after they left an event early.
Patel, 45, has been dating country music singer Alexis Wilkins, 27, for three years and has recently come under scrutiny for assigning taxpayer-funded FBI agents to guard her.
It has now been reported that Patel lost it at agents who were assigned to watch over Wilkins at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Atlanta earlier this year.
- FBI Director Kash Patel assigned a SWAT team to protect his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, sparking scrutiny over misuse of taxpayer-funded agents.
- Agents guarding Wilkins at an NRA event left early after seeing no threats, angering Patel over what he claimed were communication failures in the security detail.
- Multiple former officials expressed legal concerns over civil liability protections for SWAT agents assigned to Wilkins.
Kash Patel is facing renewed scrutiny for giving Alexis Wilkins an elite security detail
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
According to The New York Times, two elite agents who were part of a specialized unit were ordered to attend the event with Wilkins as she performed the national anthem and mingled.
But after assessing the area and determining there was no threat to Wilkins’ safety, the agents left early, six people familiar with the incident told the NYT.
When Patel found out, he exploded at the team’s commander and ranted about an apparent failure to communicate movement up the chain of command, according to the NYT.
Typically, partners of FBI directors are not provided with security details.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
“The assignment of SWAT-qualified special agents to guard his girlfriend are indicative of his lack of leadership experience, judgment and humility,” Christopher O’Leary, a former Marine and FBI agent who oversaw high-risk missions, told the outlet.
Another incident in late September saw FBI officials in the tactical team called back to their Salt Lake City office, despite the agents having already put in extended hours following the killing of Charlie Kirk, a longtime Trump supporter, in Utah.
The team was then redirected to bolster security for Wilkins at a political event, amid worries that she might become a potential target as well.
The reports come amid outrage over Patel allocating a SWAT team from the Nashville field office to protect Wilkins in her home city on numerous occasions.
Patel and Wilkins have been dating for three years
Image credits: Alexis Wilkins
Several former officials experienced in tactical operations have also expressed legal concerns over those assignments, as reported by NYT.
According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, it remained uncertain whether the SWAT team members assigned to Wilkins would receive the same civil liability protections typically granted to other federal agents authorized to use deadly force in the line of duty.
Earlier this month, the FBI said Wilkins was being protected over credible death threats related to her relationship with Patel.
“Ms. Wilkins is receiving a protective detail because she has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel, whom she has been dating for three years,” a spokesperson said.
“Out of respect for her safety, we will not be providing additional details.”
Wilkins’ security detail is not the only action Patel has taken to cause a stir; he is also under intense scrutiny over his use of a private government plane for personal matters.
Patel recently used his $60 million FBI jet to watch Wilkins perform the national anthem at a wrestling match in Pennsylvania in October.
Image credits: Alexis Wilkins
His use of the government-owned plane for personal reasons came after he criticized his predecessor, Christopher Wray, for using his FBI jet for personal business.
“I want to ground Chris Wray’s private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country,” Patel said in 2023.
Under executive branch rules, FBI directors must fly on government aircraft so they can stay connected through secure communications at all times and be ready to deploy rapidly if a crisis arises.
However, they are expected to pay the cost of a commercial plane ticket for the use of the private jet for personal reasons.
Amid scrutiny over her security detail, Wilkins took to social media to share a series of threats she had received on her Instagram story.
“Can’t wait to celebrate your death, especially if I’m the one causing it,” one read.
Another person wrote to her, “You need to touch a bullet,” while a separate comment stated, “Someone needs to kidnap her.”
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“The assignment of SWAT-qualified special agents to guard his girlfriend are indicative of his lack of leadership experience, judgment and humility,” Christopher O’Leary, a former Marine and FBI agent who oversaw high-risk missions, told the outlet." AND "Patel recently used his $60 million FBI jet to watch Wilkins perform the national anthem at a wrestling match in Pennsylvania in October."
“The assignment of SWAT-qualified special agents to guard his girlfriend are indicative of his lack of leadership experience, judgment and humility,” Christopher O’Leary, a former Marine and FBI agent who oversaw high-risk missions, told the outlet." AND "Patel recently used his $60 million FBI jet to watch Wilkins perform the national anthem at a wrestling match in Pennsylvania in October."
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