Cornyn said he expects Patel will secure Senate confirmation, highlighting his investigative and leadership experience.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) expressed confidence Thursday that Kash Patel will clear the Senate confirmation hurdle and become the next FBI director after being nominated for the role by President-elect Donald Trump.
Cornyn was asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Dec. 5 if he believes Patel will be confirmed by the Senate to lead the FBI.
“Yes, he will be,” the Texas Republican replied. “People I have great respect for … have recommended him highly.”
Cornyn said he’s still working to schedule a face-to-face meeting with Patel, while praising his experience, including his work with the House Intelligence Committee on the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In April 2017, Patel became an aide to committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), playing a key role in the panel’s probe of the FBI’s investigation into since-debunked allegations of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to swing the 2016 election in Trump’s favor. Patel was also instrumental in drafting the “Nunes memo,” a document alleging that the FBI abused its authority in obtaining a surveillance warrant against Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser.
Patel has “vast experience, including working on the House Intelligence Committee on the Russiagate scam and the Steele dossier scandal, so [I] look forward to meeting with him,” Cornyn told Hewitt in Thursday’s interview.
The Steele dossier is a document compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and paid for by a law firm working for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, containing various salacious claims about Trump. The dossier, which was leaked to the media and became a key part of the “Russian collusion” narrative targeting Trump, was purposefully manufactured as part of a plot against Trump that Patel described in his book “Government Gangsters” as “the biggest criminal conspiracy by government officials since Watergate.”
Trump’s Nov. 30 announcement of Patel’s nomination for FBI director also made reference to the pivotal role he played in exposing what Trump called “the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax.” The president-elect praised Patel as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the U.S. Constitution, while describing him as a “brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”
Patel, a former federal public defender and Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney, has also held prominent national security roles, including at the National Security Council and the Department of Defense. He is also a bestselling author and former EpochTV host known for his critiques of government corruption.
If confirmed for the role of FBI director, Patel’s tenure at the agency could mark a significant shift in its culture and operations.
Current FBI Director Christopher Wray has served in the role since 2017 after Trump fired James Comey and nominated Wray. Prior to that, Wray served as a federal prosecutor and a Justice Department official. Normally, FBI directors are selected to serve 10 years, meaning Wray would need to end his tenure early.