Days after reports showed that FBI Director Kash Patel was shutting down investigations of possible foreign intervention in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, it was revealed that the FBI director used his government-designated plane to attend his girlfriend’s wrestling event.
Although it doesn’t sound like much on the surface, Patel is facing significant backlash from those in the conservative movement and lawmakers for using his government plane to attend a personal event instead of fulfilling his duties.
Flight records show that Patel’s plane landed at Pennsylvania’s State College Regional Airport on October 25 and then, hours later, proceeded to Nashville, Tennessee, where Patel’s girlfriend, country singer Alex Wilkins, resides.
Given that Patel used his plane for personal reasons and leisure, he is facing backlash, according to The Independent.
Such criticism stems from the fact that American taxpayers fund Patel’s jet.
Most notably, whistleblower and veteran Kyle Seraphin tore into Patel for using the FBI jet to visit his girlfriend.
Seraphin pointed out that instead of paying the bureau’s support staff, Patel would rather go on vacation, costing taxpayers a hefty sum of money.
“Dear FBI Employees: I’m sorry the government ISN’T funded, so you won’t be getting a paycheck. Luckily, that doesn’t stop Real American Freestyle WRESTLING! So I flew the FBI jet to State College PA, hung out with my chick, and then flew to Nashville where she lives.” -Ka$h, Seraphin wrote.
Interestingly, as Serpahin pointed out, Patel criticized then-FBI Director Christopher Wray for committing the very same act he himself had committed: using an FBI jet for personal reasons.
In fact, in a 2023 Truth Social post, Patel criticized Wray, listing a set of questions that Congress should have asked the then-FBI director during his testimony.
Among the questions, Patel listed at number four: “Wray mandates himself to fly in a private jet we pay for, will you shut that waste down?”
Seraphin’s comments come months after he accused Wilkin’s of being a “honeypot” for the Israeli Mossad.
Wilkins took legal action against the veteran in response to such accusations.
Multiple conservatives opposed Patel’s move, with one calling it a “red flag.”
“This is extremely red flag concerning, especially hearing it right after hearing Kristi Noem purchased two jets for personal use,” one user said on X.
Some even accused Patel of deliberately creating a distraction to take people’s eyes away from the Kirk assassination.
“It’s a distraction….from all the facts piling up about the Charlie Kirk assassination,” another user said.
Despite the controversy, it is worth noting that the FBI director is prohibited from flying commercially. They must use a government aircraft if they wish to travel.
Nonetheless, Patel faces backlash from both conservatives and liberals over the particular reason he used the FBI jet.
