'Stick to podcasting, leave FBI': Patty Murray tears into Kash Patel over alcoholism allegations

FBI Director Kash Patel was challenged by Democrats over the "extremely alarming" reports of alcoholism and professional misconduct, first published in the Atlantic in mid-April, during a fiery congressional hearing on Tuesday. Arguing that the allegations would amount to a "gross dereliction" of duty, senators, including Patty Murray, questioned the leadership of Patel, claiming the country deserves better. Murray went as far as to suggest the FBI director should quit his job and stick to "podcasting" if he wants to "pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room."

At the budget hearing, Patel angrily lashed out at Democratic lawmakers after he was confronted about a recent article in The Atlantic magazine that accused the FBI chief of drinking on the job, unexplained absenteeism, and alcoholism. "I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations and fraudulent statements from the media," Patel told Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who brought up the topic first. 

Following Hollen's lead, Murray questioned Patel on a range of topics, which eventually led to another heated exchange. After Patel denied reassigning FBI agents to work on immigration, the Democratic lawmaker confronted him about the reports that alleged he used FBI resources to crack down on those who leaked information on him and the journalists. Responding to the question, Patel "unequivocally" denied using the FBI to target or investigate journalists. "This FBI is targeting no journalists," Patel said. Murray then turned her focus to the "extremely troubling stories," questioning if he had ordered polygraphs on his staff in an attempt to intimidate or "rat out leakers." Patel denied that, too.

After talking about the FBI's budget, Murray expressed serious concerns over Patel's leadership and temperament. "We need serious leadership at the FBI that the American people can trust. And I am deeply concerned about the reports that your leadership has not been serious," Murray said. She referred to another report from The Atlantic that accused Patel of carrying around personally branded bottles of alcohol. "Your job is to be reachable," she said, adding that if he wanted to "pass out liquor, or pop bottles in a locker room," he should stick to podcasting. "Leave law and order to people who really do care more about justice and appearances, that is really critical," Murray said.

Responding to Murray's criticism, Patel flaunted a leaflet that carried numbers showing the incredible work that the FBI had done under his leadership. While Murray commended the agency's work, she pointed out that her concern was with the leadership. "We are seeing the pictures of passing out branded bourbon and what happened at the Olympics, jetting around the globe and all the rest of it—and that, I will say again, Mr. Chairman, is of deep concern to me," she said. 

Before sparring with Murray, Patel got into a war of words with Van Hollen, who challenged him to take an "audit" test to disprove his drinking allegations. "Are you willing to take a test that's called the audit test that members of our active duty military and others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem?” he asked. In his response, Patel said that he will take it as long as Van Hollen is ready to take it as well. "Let's go side by side," Patel said.