By Maribel Velazquez
The director of the FBI, Kash Patelfaces one of the biggest controversies of his administration after the publication of a report that accuses him of alleged episodes of excessive alcohol consumptionabsences from work and erratic behavior. The information, released by The Atlantic, has generated concern within the agency.
According to the author of the report, several current and former FBI officials described a management marked by worrying episodes. One of the most striking moments occurred on April 10, when Patel suffered an apparent panic episode after being unable to access an internal system. According to the report, he thought he had been fired and began “frantically” calling collaborators.
“Two people described his behavior as an attack of hysteria,” says the report, which is based on more than two dozen interviews. However, the incident would have been caused by a technical failure and not by a decision by the White House.
The most delicate accusations point to the official’s alleged alcohol consumption. According to the report, Patel would have been seen in a state of intoxication at social events, and even official meetings would have been rescheduled to adapt to his nighttime schedules. Furthermore, it is mentioned that his security team had difficulty locating him at key moments, which raised alerts about possible risks to national security.
“That’s what keeps me up at night,” said an official quoted by the aforementioned media, in reference to the possibility of the FBI facing a crisis while its director is unavailable.
Patel has rejected these versions
In a social media post, Patel described the report as “false information” and issued a direct warning: “See you in court with your entire entourage of fake journalists.”
The FBI, through its communications team, also dismissed the content of the article, stating that it is “completely false almost 100%.” For his part, Patel’s lawyer, Jesse Binnall, stated that the text is “defamatory” and is based on unreliable anonymous sources.
Despite the defense, The report has revived doubts about the stability of leadership at the FBIa key agency in US national security. According to the sources cited, talks have even begun in President Donald Trump’s administration about a possible replacement.
Fitzpatrick, however, maintains his position: “I stand by every word of this report”he stated in a television interview, underlining the seriousness of the sources consulted.
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