FBI under Kash Patel has become ‘internally paralyzed by fear’, new report reveals | FBI
FBI director Kash Patel is “in over his head” and is running a “chronically underperforming” agency paralyzed by fear and falling morale, according to a scathing 115-page report compiled by a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI special agents and analysts.
Leaked evaluation, Obtained by New York Post The report, prepared for both the Senate and House judiciary committees of Congress, is based on confidential accounts from 24 FBI sources.
They accuse Patel of not having the experience to lead the FBI and of failing to take initiative without clear direction for fear of managers being fired. Patel’s first six months revealed a “troubled picture” of an organization described by insiders as “a rudderless ship”; Two sources independently described the director as “in over his head”. One stated that he “lacks the necessary knowledge or deep understanding of all of the FBI’s unique and complex investigative and intelligence programs.”
One major charge is that the FBI was “paralyzed from the inside by fear.” According to many sources, managers are “afraid of losing their jobs” and “waiting for instructions from the FBI director” rather than taking the initiative.
That paralysis stems in part from a time before Patel was nominated, when she accused the FBI of being part of a “deep state” conspiracy against Trump and called for a radical overhaul. He advocated closing the FBI’s Washington headquarters and dispersing employees across the country and accused the bureau of using political weapons during the investigations into Trump.
The assessment comes amid ongoing controversy over Patel’s tenure. Almost before February 2025 approval 60 civil rights organizations He called for his nomination to the Senate to be rejected due to his inexperience, foreign connections, and misleading statements. He has faced criticism since taking office for refusing to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and for prematurely announcing an arrest in the Kirk investigation that had to be withdrawn.
Patel, who served as a House intelligence committee staffer and later served in various positions, including deputy director of national intelligence during the first term of the Trump administration, is also the author of pro-Trump children’s books, including The Plot Against the King. After Trump lost the 2020 election, Patel became a fixture in right-wing media until Trump won again and catapulted him to the head of the FBI.
He has also been subject to scrutiny for allegations made against him. Swat staff to protect girlfriend and used government aircraft for personal travel.
On September 11, the day after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Patel arrived in Provo, Utah, but refused to leave the FBI jet without an appropriate raid jacket, according to the assessment. A source described in the report as “highly respected” revealed that agents working on the Kirk investigation had to stop their efforts to find Patel a mid-length jacket. When a female agent’s jacket was delivered, Patel complained that the Velcro patches on the sleeves were missing and refused to disembark until Swat team members removed the patches from their own uniforms and attached them to the borrowed jacket.
The same source confirmed in media reports that Patel “yelled” at the special agent in charge and led an “expletive-filled tirade” over “perceived errors” in the case. Assistant principal Dan Bongino later telephoned to apologize and “said this should never have happened.”
Both Patel and Bongino face criticism for what many sources describe as an excessive focus on social media. FBI employees reported hearing more about the bureau’s mission through leadership’s social media posts than through official internal channels.
Bongino, who lacked traditional FBI experience and received permission from Patel exempting him from the standard polygraph The display is described by one source as “something clown-like.”
In one incident, Patel became upset after learning that FBI personnel in Quantico were discussing his request to be issued an FBI firearm. When the details were leaked, he ordered polygraph examinations on everyone involved to determine who was criticizing him. A respected FBI leader involved in the evaluation called the order “unnecessarily punitive.”
Not all feedback was negative. Many sources welcomed Patel’s rollback of diversity and equity initiatives and praised her immigration enforcement operations. Some reported increased prosecutorial support compared to the previous administration. However, while some sources supported the dismissal of senior executives deemed responsible for past politicization, they argued that the reforms “did not go deep enough”.
The report also draws attention to the concerns of countries that cooperate closely with the USA. Sources in the report stated that law enforcement and intelligence agencies of allied countries fear that the Trump administration “could cause long-term damage to international cooperation.”
The anonymous authors, who requested anonymity to protect their positions, told the Post that their assessment was “never intended to be a major work” but acknowledged that “anecdotal reports from FBI personnel are 80/20 negative.” They concluded their remarks by advising Patel and Bongino to listen to the criticism.
white house recently denied media reports Trump plans to fire Patel. The congressional judiciary committees named in the report will receive a copy of the assessment this week.
