Ranking Members Raskin, Durbin Launch Bicameral Investigation into Kash Patel’s Abuse of FBI Jets and Tax Dollars Following Private Senate GOP Letter Questioning Patel’s Spending, Travel

Washington, D.C. (July 9, 2026)—Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, launched a bicameral investigation into Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s misuse of taxpayer-funded resources, after obtaining a nonpublic letter from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and receiving new details from sources about Patel’s excessive travel, luxury expenditures, and personal activities disguised as official business.

“We write in light of the growing number of credible public reports and non-public sources identifying episodes of your misuse and mismanagement of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) resources. This abuse obviously comes at the expense of the American taxpayer and ongoing Bureau operations as it ties up Bureau aircraft, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, and agents in ways so outrageous that even congressional Republicans can no longer ignore them. For example, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley—one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest defenders in Congress—raised serious concerns in a private letter to you on May 5, 2026, requesting information about your spending,” wrote the Ranking Members.

In a May 5, 2026, letter, Chairman Grassley sought detailed information from Director Patel regarding his use of government aircraft, his purchase of a fleet of luxury BMW vehicles, and whether he has reimbursed taxpayers for personal travel.

Other information provided to the Committee details a pattern of conduct consistent with the concerns raised in Grassley’s letter, including reports that Director Patel:

• Frequently demands special perks on “official” international trips, including VIP snorkeling in Hawaii and recreational activities such as jet skiing, as well as taxpayer-funded helicopter tours during a multi-country trip across East Asia.
• Has engaged in what sources have described as “out of control” jet-setting, with little justification for repeated international travel, including circumstances suggesting the new attaché office in Wellington, New Zealand may have been established in part to facilitate or justify a sightseeing trip there.
• Has demoted FBI personnel in Brussels after they failed to ensure he was adequately entertained during official travel, contributing to a climate of fear among agents that personal perks are expected or professional consequences may follow. The strain of pleasing Patel reportedly contributed to the resignation of the head of the FBI’s international operations this year.

Director Patel has offered dubious explanations for several costly trips and failed to adequately justify why American taxpayers should pay for his luxury travel. He citedthe pursuit of a cybercriminal to justify a $100,000 trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. However, the individual had already been in Italian custody for seven months prior to the Olympics and was not extradited to the United States until two months after the event. Director Patel had also publicized plans to attend the Olympics well in advance for reasons unrelated to official business.

While FBI Directors are permitted to use government aircraft for security reasons, federal law requires reimbursement for personal travel and prohibits the use of official trips as a pretext for taxpayer-funded vacations. There is no indication that Director Patel has met these obligations.

“The American people deserve an FBI Director focused on keeping us all safe rather than jet-setting to check off personal bucket list items. Congress requires a transparent accounting of how you are using Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars,” wrote the Ranking Members

Judiciary Democrats are demanding a full accounting of Director Patel’s use of taxpayer resources, including records of flights, reimbursements, the acquisition and operating costs of the BMW fleet, detailed documentation of personal activities during official travel, acceptance of gifts or entertainment—including tickets or accommodations during the 2026 Winter Olympics—and a comprehensive accounting of total taxpayer costs incurred. They are also seeking complete responses to prior congressional inquiries on these matters, including those previously requested by Chairman Grassley.

Click here to read the letter to FBI Director Patel.

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