Senate Dems make closing argument on FBI nominee Patel ahead of committee vote

WASHINGTON (CN) — Senate Democrats on Thursday took some of their last shots at FBI director nominee Kash Patel, as the upper chamber’s Judiciary Committee prepares to vote on whether he should advance to final confirmation.

“For God’s sake, to give the most sweeping investigative agency in the United States and the world over to this man to settle political scores is something we’re going to regret,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said in remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Senate’s legal affairs panel was scheduled Thursday morning to vote on Pate’s nomination to lead the FBI, but Democrats requested that the vote be delayed until next week.

It’s normal procedure for the Judiciary Committee to place a hold on presidential nominees listed on the agenda for the first time as a courtesy to the minority party. But it’s unusual that lawmakers demand the panel meet in person to do so — and Republicans were sure to express their dissatisfaction with that break from tradition.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, accused Democrats of “establishing a double standard” by forcing an in-person meeting to hold over Patel’s nomination. He argued that Republicans had abided by the panel’s tradition “even when very controversial nominees were on the agenda.”

“Our committee works best when both sides uphold norms regardless of which party holds the majority,” Grassley said.

But Democrats explained that they wanted to use the opportunity to meet and speak out against what they described as Patel’s unusual candidacy to head the FBI.

“This is an extraordinary nomination,” Durbin said.

Democrats have for months railed against Patel, a former Donald Trump administration official selected by the president late last year to lead the government’s foremost law enforcement agency. Lawmakers have positioned him as a deeply partisan figure who they worry would use the FBI to investigate political opponents — pointing repeatedly to Patel’s published list of so-called “deep state” government officials as evidence.

As he testified before the Judiciary Committee last month, Patel argued that Democrats’ framing of his list, published in a 2023 book, was a “total mischaracterization.” Facing questions about whether he would target former government officials, he assured lawmakers that he had “no plans on going backwards.”

“No one that did not break the law will be investigated,” Patel said at the time.

But the nominee’s appearance before the Judiciary Committee did little to assuage Democratic worries about his political impartiality.

Speaking at a news conference following Thursday’s panel meeting, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar argued that Patel had failed to adequately answer questions about his so-called “enemies list” or past statements about investigating members of the media.

“The FBI director’s loyalty must be to the American people, to the Constitution and to the rule of law — but Mr. Patel has made it clear that his loyalty is to the president,” Klobuchar told reporters.

Delaware Senator Chris Coons agreed, saying that the nominee had “no business” leading the FBI.

The lawmakers pointed to the White House’s recent move to fire several senior FBI officials, as well as the administration’s request that the law enforcement agency compile a list of agents and staffers who worked on cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Those actions, Democrats argued, stood in sharp contrast with Patel’s commitment to protect FBI employees from political retribution.

The senators also called on their GOP colleagues to take another look at Patel’s nomination.

“It’s clear where Senate Democrats stand,” said California Senator Alex Padilla. “I think my biggest question is: where are Senate Republicans going to stand at this important moment in history? Will they choose the rule of law? Will they choose the Constitution? Or will they choose loyalty to a reckless president?”

So far, no Senate Republicans have publicly opposed Patel’s nomination, and he seems likely to clear the GOP-led Judiciary Committee. Grassley this week rebuffed calls from Democrats to hold another hearing on Patel amid the White House’s meddling at the FBI.

“No one was convinced by the minority’s baseless efforts to mischaracterize and malign Kash Patel,” the committee chairman wrote in a statement Tuesday. He added that it was “outrageous” for Democrats to argue that the nominee should have to answer for government actions that occurred before he is confirmed as FBI director.

During Thursday’s business meeting, Durbin said he was “disappointed but not surprised” by the rejection.

The Judiciary Committee is preparing to take up Patel’s nomination just days after the Senate confirmed Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general. Bondi, a one-time lawyer for the president and former Florida attorney general, faced questions from Democrats about her relationship with the FBI director nominee.

Durbin said Thursday that he thought Patel would work “hand in glove” with Bondi’s agenda as head of the Justice Department.

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