Federal Bureau Of Investigation

FBI committed to bringing home US hostages held in other nations: Director

The FBI will work to zero out the population of Americans detained or held hostage in foreign countries, Director Kash Patel said Thursday at a State Department ceremony honouring the hostage community and their families. My singular promise to you in this community is that I will do everything as the director of the FBI to marshal the resources necessary to make sure that no other American family feels that pain, he said during the flag-raising event. Patel spoke as the Trump administration is working to bring home Americans from multiple countries, including Russia and Venezuela. The government is also trying to secure the release of remaining American hostages held by Hamas, with Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump's nominee to be special envoy for hostage affairs, leading direct talks with the militant group. We still don't have everybody back," Patel said. Whatever lawful authorities we have at the FBI, we are going to give 24/7, 365 days to make sure that we zero out this ...

FBI New York chief James Dennehy retires after being ordered to step down

The head of the FBI's New York field office who was reported to have resisted Justice Department efforts to scrutinise agents who participated in politically sensitive investigations has told coworkers that he has retired from the bureau after being directed to do so. James Dennehy said in a message on Monday to colleagues obtained by The Associated Press that he was told late Friday to put in his retirement papers but was not given a reason. The move comes in a period of upheaval at the bureau as new FBI Director Kash Patel took office last month and as conservative podcast host and Trump loyalist Dan Bongino has been named to serve as deputy director. The bureau also remains in turmoil over a highly unusual demand by the Justice Department for the FBI to turn over a list of the thousands of agents who participated in investigations related to the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. The January directive was seen by some in the bureau as a possible precursor to mass ...

US Attorney General releases first phase of Jeffrey Epstein files

The first phase of released files largely comprise documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the US government

Who is Daniel John Bongino: Kash Patel's FBI deputy appointed by Trump

This announcement came after Trump recently named Indian origin Kash Patel as the director of the FBI

Kash Patel 'pushes back' against Elon Musk's diktat to federal employees

Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration, asked all federal employees to justify their work or lose their jobs

New FBI director Kash Patel to relocate 1,500 employees to field offices

New FBI Director Kash Patel has told senior officials that he plans to relocate 1,000 employees at FBI headquarters to field offices around the country and move an additional 500 to a bureau facility in Huntsville, Alabama, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions. The plans were communicated Friday, the same day Patel was sworn in at the White House. They reflect his long-stated determination to reduce the FBI's footprint in Washington and have more of a presence in offices in other cities. The person who discussed Patel's vision did so on condition of anonymity to describe plans that have not been made public. At his swearing-in ceremony, Patel called the opportunity to lead the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency the "greatest honour" of his life. Patel was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday by a 51-49 margin, with two Republican lawmakers, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, breaking party ranks and voting against him. "I think he'l

Kash Patel sworn in at WH as new FBI director, calls it 'greatest honour'

Kash Patel was sworn in as the FBI director and he called the opportunity to lead the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency the "greatest honour" of his life. Patel was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday by a 51-49 margin, with two Republican lawmakers, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, breaking party ranks and voting against him. "I think he'll go down as the best ever at that position," President Donald Trump told reporters Friday ahead of the White House swearing-in on Friday, which was conducted by Attorney General Pam Bondi and attended by Republican supporters in Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Trump added that the "agents love this guy". Patel will inherit an FBI gripped by turmoil as the Justice Department over the past month has forced out a group of senior bureau officials and made a highly unusual demand for the names of thousands of agents who participated in investigations related to the January 6, .

US Senate votes 48-45, advances Kash Patel's nomination for FBI director

Kash Patel, who has celebrated rank-and-file FBI agents for being "courageous, apolitical warriors of justice," will serve a 10-year term if confirmed

FBI agents sue over justice dept's effort to ID those probing Trump cases

FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump have sued over Justice Department efforts to develop a list of employees involved in those inquiries that they fear could be a precursor to mass firings. The class-action complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, seeks an immediate halt to the Justice Development's plans to compile a list of investigators who participated in probes of the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol as well as Trump's hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The lawsuit notes that Trump on the campaign trail "repeatedly stated that he would personify the vengeance' or the retribution, for those whom he called "political hostages, for their actions during the Jan 6 attack. The agents contend the very act of compiling lists of persons who worked on matters that upset Donald Trump is retaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel and to discourage them from reporting any

Trump admin likely to fire FBI agents involved in probe against president

Trump administration officials are moving to fire FBI agents engaged in investigations involving President Donald Trump in the coming days, two people familiar with the plans said Friday. It was not clear how many agents might be affected, but officials acting at the direction of the administration were working to identify individual agents who could be terminated, said the people who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. Among the politically explosive investigations involving Trump over the last four years are inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his hoarding of classified documents, as well as hundreds of criminal cases against rioters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment, and an FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The terminations would be a major blow to the historic independence of the nation's premier federal law ...

I was subject to racism as an individual: Trump's FBI pick Kash Patel

Indian American Kash Patel on Thursday told lawmakers that he has been subjected to racism while growing up as an individual. Unfortunately, Senator, yes. I don't want to get into those details with my family here, Patel, 44, told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the FBI Director. If confirmed, he would be the first Hindu and Indian American to be FBI Director. Patel was responding to a question from Senator Lindsey Graham if he has ever been subject to racism as an individual. If you look at the record from January 6th, where I testified before that committee, because of my personal information being released by the Congress, I was subjected to a direct and significant threat on my life. And I put that information in the record. I had to move, he said. I was called a detestable -- and I'll apologise if I don't get it all right, but it's in the record -- a detestable sand nigger who had no right being in this country. You should go bac

Kash Patel to face sceptical Democrats at FBI director confirmation hearing

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, will encounter deeply skeptical questioning from Democratic senators Thursday about his loyalty to the president and stated desire to overhaul the bureau as he faces a high-stakes hearing that will help determine his path toward confirmation. Patel, a Trump loyalist who has railed against the FBI over its investigations into the president and claimed that Jan 6 rioters were mistreated by the Justice Department, was picked in November to replace Christopher Wray, who led the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency for more than seven years. A former aide to the House Intelligence Committee and an ex-federal prosecutor who served in Trump's first administration, Patel has alarmed critics with rhetoric in dozens of podcasts and books he has authored in which he has demonstrated fealty to Trump, lambasted the decision-making of the agency he's now been asked to lead and identified by name officials he believes should be

Kash Patel's confirmation hearing for FBI Director scheduled for Jan 30

Kash Patel will appear before a US Senate committee on January 30 for a confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Patel, 44, is the highest-ranking Indian-American nominated by President Donald Trump in his administration. If confirmed, he would be the first-ever Indian American to lead the most powerful American investigation agency. "The Nomination of Kashyap Pramod Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" has been scheduled for January 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday. Patel would replace Christopher Wray. He is considered to be a loyal supporter of Trump. I love the American dream. My story's pretty simple, it's unique, and some of you share in it, Patel, the former federal prosecutor, said during an inauguration event for Trump early this week. My parents were born and raised in East Africa. My father in the 1970s fled a genocidal dictatorship in Uganda, where he saw 300,000 of his ..

FBI must be independent, above partisan fray, says outgoing director Wray

The FBI must remain independent, above the partisan fray and committed to upholding the rule of law, outgoing Director Christopher Wray said in a farewell address just days before his expected retirement at the conclusion of the Biden administration following more than seven years on the job. No matter what's happening out there, Wray said, in here, we've got to stay committed to doing our work the right way every time, with professionalism, with rigor, with integrity. That means following the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it or doesn't because trust me, if there's anything I've learned in this job, there's always someone who doesn't like you. The remarks at the packed farewell ceremony at FBI headquarters steered clear of any direct political reference, with no overt mention of President-elect Donald Trump's scathing criticism of him or the turmoil the bureau has encountered amid a spate of highly charged investigations into both Trump and President Joe Biden. But

FBI now says driver responsible for deadly New Orleans rampage acted alone

The FBI now says that the pickup truck driver responsible for a deadly rampage in New Orleans acted alone. Officials said on Wednesday that they were seeking additional potential suspects in an attack being investigated as an act of terrorism. But Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, said on Thursday that the evidence now shows that Shamsud-Din Jabbar was solely responsible for the attack and professed allegiance to the Islamic State. New Orleans pressed ahead with plans to reopen the city's famed Bourbon Street on Thursday as investigators kept digging into the background of the US Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revellers, killing 15 people. The FBI said it was investigating the attack, which occurred when 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar steered around a police blockade, as a terrorist act. Investigators believe the driver was inspired by the Islamic State group. Authorities recovered a black flag of

Kash Patel meets US Senators as his nomination for FBI head gains momentum

The Nomination of Indian-American Kash Patel as FBI Director gains momentum as he meets several influential Senators at Capitol Hill, many of whom openly came out in his support. If confirmed by the US Senate, Patel would be the first-ever Indian-American to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the powerful investigating agency of the United States. Today I reminded Kash that transparency brings accountability, and it's badly needed at the FBI. As a former congressional investigator, Kash understands that cooperation with Congress is not optional and whistle-blower protection is essential, a statement from Senator Chuck Grassley, the incoming Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said after meeting Patel. Once formally nominated, I'd look forward to holding a hearing on Kash's nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee, he said following the meeting. I just wrapped a wonderful meeting with Chairman Chuck Grassley. I share his love for government transparency and

FBI warns against Chinese hackers, asks telecom firms to boost security

Federal authorities on Tuesday urged telecommunication companies to boost network security following a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. The guidance issued by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. Officials who briefed reporters on the recommendations said the US still doesn't know the true scope of China's attack or the extent to which Chinese hackers still have access to US networks. In one sign of the global reach of China's hacking efforts, the government's warning was issued jointly with security agencies in New Zealand, Australia and Canada, members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which also includes the US and Britain. Dubbed Salt Typhoon by analysts, the wide-ranging cyberespionage campaign emerged earlier this year after hackers sought

Trump's FBI pick Kash Patel wants to reshape bureau via surveillance reform

Indian American Kash Patel has been well-known for years within Donald Trump's orbit as a loyal supporter who shares the president-elect's scepticism of the FBI and intelligence community. But he's receiving fresh attention, from the public and from Congress, now that Trump has picked him to lead the FBI. As he braces for a bruising and likely protracted Senate confirmation fight, Patel can expect scrutiny not only over his professed fealty to Trump but also for his belief revealed over the last year in interviews and his own book that the century-old FBI should be radically overhauled. Here's a look at some of what he's proposed for the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency. How much of it he'd actually follow through on is a separate question. He's mused about shutting down the FBI's Washington headquarters The first FBI employees moved into the current Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters 50 years ago. The building since then has housed the supervisors and leaders who m

All about Kash Patel: Donald Trump's pick for FBI Chief

Polymarket investigated by DOJ for 'letting' US users bet on platform

Polymarket said in a statement that the company would 'stand up for ourselves and our community', and alleged that the FBI search was politically motivated