Patel Denies Drinking Allegations at Senate Hearing

FBI Director Kash Patel denied allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences during a Senate hearing in Washington on May 12, calling the claims “baseless” and “a total farce.” He responded to questions from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The allegations surfaced in mid-April in a magazine report that cited more than two dozen sources, including current and former FBI officials. The report described concerns about Patel’s alcohol use and alleged incidents in which his security detail struggled to rouse him.

Van Hollen said the reported behavior, if true, would be “extremely alarming” and could amount to a “gross dereliction of duty.” Patel rejected the accusations and told the senator to “print it, all false,” adding: “I’ll see you in court – bring your checkbook.”

Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine and the author of the report. The magazine has said it stands by its reporting.

Exchange with Van Hollen and sobriety-test challenge

During the hearing, Van Hollen asked whether Patel would be willing to take a test to determine whether he has a drinking problem. Patel said he would, but only if Van Hollen took the test alongside him.

Patel also accused Van Hollen of misusing taxpayer funds for personal drinking. Van Hollen’s office said Patel was distorting campaign spending reports and that the cited expense was for event catering paid with campaign funds, not taxpayer dollars.

Claims about FBI resources and leak investigations

Patel also denied using FBI resources to investigate negative press coverage or ordering polygraph tests to identify the sources of media leaks.

The hearing added to scrutiny of the FBI director’s conduct and management of the bureau, with lawmakers signaling they may press for additional details as the lawsuit and related disputes proceed.