In his book “Government Gansters,” Mr. Patel made clear his hostility toward the so-called deep state, publishing a list of 60 names in an appendix.
It has been widely interpreted as an enemies list and singles out former executive branch officials but is by no means “comprehensive,” according to Mr. Patel.
At his confirmation hearing to be F.B.I. director on Thursday, Mr. Patel forcefully rejected the idea that the group of names was an enemies list.
“It’s not an enemies list,” Mr. Patel told the senators. “It’s a total mischaracterization.”
Many of the names are familiar. They stand out because of their roles in investigations that ensnared President Trump or because they bucked the president’s authority. Some are obscure but well-known to those who closely followed the various controversies that engulfed the first Trump administration.
Former F.B.I. officials are included, including James B. Comey, whom Mr. Trump fired as the bureau’s director, and his successor, Christopher A. Wray, who resigned this month before the president could oust him, too. There are two current F.B.I. employees on the list.
One is an agent who was involved in an inquiry examining a possible secret communications channel between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, a Russian financial firm with ties to the Kremlin. The other is a veteran analyst involved in the F.B.I.’s investigation, known as “Crossfire Hurricane,” into Russian meddling during the 2016 president election.
The list has generated unease inside the bureau — not just for those on it but even those who are not singled out by name — given the mass firings at the Justice Department in recent days. The dismissals extended to about a dozen federal prosecutors who worked on the criminal prosecutions of Mr. Trump, with the acting attorney general citing a lack of trust.
“Given your significant role in prosecuting the president, I do not believe that the leadership of the department can trust you to assist in implementing the president’s agenda faithfully,” read the memo by the acting attorney general, James McHenry.
Whether that retribution spills over to the bureau is unclear. Mr. Patel has insisted that the list is not a road map.
“My version of accountability is a little different than maybe what most people would think,” Mr. Patel said on the podcast “The Shawn Ryan Show.” He added: “I don’t have a hit list. I don’t have a revenge march I’m on.”
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