FBI Director Kash Patel traveled to Italy this week aboard a Justice Department aircraft, where he is expected to attend the Olympic hockey medal rounds while also participating in official meetings with Italian law enforcement counterparts.
Public flight tracking data reviewed by CBS News showed that Patel departed Thursday morning on a government plane bound for an Air Force base in Italy, following a short flight Wednesday from Manassas, Virginia, to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
The aircraft landed in Italy Thursday evening, local time, according to flight monitoring data and a source familiar with the trip.
Sources confirmed that Patel plans to watch the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team compete in the medal rounds in Milan. Patel also posted messages on social media expressing support for Team USA.
According to FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson, the trip is not personal in nature and was planned months in advance.
Williamson stated that Patel’s itinerary includes meetings with Italian law enforcement and security officials, a follow-up meeting with U.S. Ambassador Fertitta, discussions with Legal Attaché staff, and other official engagements.
Italian authorities reportedly extended the invitation to Patel last July.
The travel comes amid prior scrutiny over Patel’s use of government aircraft. FBI directors are required to use government planes for both official and personal air travel to ensure secure communications access at all times.
However, congressional Democrats launched a probe late last year into Patel’s travel patterns after media reports highlighted flights to various destinations, including sporting events and other trips that critics described as personal in nature.
Patel has previously defended his travel, and the bureau maintains that all required protocols are being followed. Still, questions have resurfaced due to the optics of combining official meetings with attendance at high-profile sporting events, per CBS News.
The issue carries added attention because Patel was previously a vocal critic of his predecessor, Chris Wray, over Wray’s own use of government aircraft. Wray had faced criticism for using FBI planes to travel to his vacation home in upstate New York, which Patel and other critics argued raised concerns about taxpayer costs.
Earlier this year, records show the FBI jet flew to Stewart International Airport in New York, where Patel appeared at a charity hockey event. The following day, the aircraft traveled to JFK Airport shortly before Patel was seen attending a game alongside hockey legend Wayne Gretzky as Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL scoring record.
Supporters argue that the director’s required use of government aircraft makes such scrutiny misplaced, given longstanding security protocols. Critics, however, contend that repeated travel tied to sporting events raises reasonable questions about cost and necessity.
As Patel continues his trip in Italy, the debate over the appropriate use of government aircraft by senior federal officials is likely to remain in focus, particularly given his prior criticism of similar travel by bureau leadership.
