Has Kash Patel Ordered Lie Detector Tests Following Scathing Media Coverage?
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC – FBI Director Kash Patel has ordered polygraph tests for more than two dozen current and former members of his security detail, along with other staff, as internal tensions escalate following a critical report by The Atlantic, according to multiple media accounts.
The directive comes as the Atlantic’s reporting has intensified scrutiny of Patel’s leadership, prompting efforts within his office to identify possible leaks. People familiar with the matter said the polygraph examinations are aimed at determining whether individuals with access to sensitive information, including those who travel with the director, have communicated with journalists. Those sources spoke on condition of anonymity, citing concerns about retaliation.
FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, declined to comment on whether Patel had ordered the tests.
MS NOW said some agents were uneasy about the justification for such a probe, particularly if it involved examining a journalist’s communications during routine reporting. Sources said there were concerns among agents about potential consequences if they resisted the order.
In a separate article published on May 7, the Atlantic detailed additional allegations about Patel’s conduct, including claims that he travels with a supply of “personalized branded bourbon” that he distributes to people around him.
According to the report, the bottles are engraved with the phrase “Kash Patel FBI Director,” along with an FBI-style shield. The design includes an eagle holding the number nine, an apparent reference to Patel’s place in the line of FBI directors, and features his preferred stylization of his first name as “Ka$h.”
The Atlantic further alleged that Patel distributed the bottles during official duties, including at least one FBI-related event, and that he and members of his team transported the whiskey aboard a Justice Department aircraft.
A FBI spokesperson defending Patel, told The Guardian, that any bottles provided in an official setting would have been part of formal gift exchanges. “If Director Patel ever provided one as a personal gift, he reimbursed the Bureau,” the source said.
