A relentless Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) raked FBI Director Kash Patel over the coals on Tuesday, bringing up accusations about his drinking problems while he sat silently.
During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Hirono used the last few minutes of her time to batter President Donald Trump’s appointee over all the controversies that have dogged him since he was sworn in.
“As far as I’m concerned, the good work being done by the FBI agents and analysts of the sort that you describe is happening in spite of you, not because of you,” she told the grim-faced Patel. “You have lowered hiring standards to allow applicants with a history of theft to serve as FBI employees. I think all of us would love to know why an organization charged with investigating theft should bring thieves into your midst, but you won’t give a straight answer as to why this change was made to your hiring, even to [GOP] Senator [John] Kennedy’s questions this morning.”
“You have been so drunk that briefings have been rescheduled so you could sleep it off,” she accused. “When challenged by Senator [Chris] Van Hollen at the Appropriations Committee hearing several months ago to take an alcoholism test, you agreed. Senator Van Hollen has posted the results of his test — we are still awaiting you posting your results of your test.”
“The FBI has long identified racially, ethnically motivated violent extremists. That is an actual category, which includes white nationalists as the most, most lethal group of domestic terrorists in our country. Your FBI no longer talks about that threat. You no longer post about it. And it’s not because the threat has gone away.”
“You have undermined prosecutions by posting details to your social media,” she later added. “You know, you testified today that to the questions you don’t feel like answering: ‘It’s ongoing, it’s an investigation, can’t talk about it.’ And yet you have actually posted things that should be ongoing and where you should be keeping your mouth shut.”
“Mr. Patel, this country needs an FBI director who will give us straight answers, not obfuscate, not give us the kind of rhetoric that you have provided once again today,” she lectured. “It is a disservice to this committee’s oversight functions, and it’s certainly a disservice to the American people and it is no wonder that former Attorney General Bill Barr said you would take a leadership role at the FBI over his dead body. And yet here you are.”
“Mr. Chairman, I am done with this witness,” she curtly added as Patel glanced around the hearing room.
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