'Criminal act': FBI scrambles as leak reveals Kash Patel's 'long segments of leisure time'

FBI Director Kash Patel’s taxpayer-funded trip to Italy that culminated with him chugging beer with the U.S. hockey team was revealed Wednesday to have included “long segments of personal and leisure time” after the leak of an internal schedule, a leak that the FBI condemned as a “criminal act,” The New York Times reported.

Patel has defended his trip to Italy during the Olympic games, with the FBI telling the Times that the trip was focused on “strengthening joint counterterrorism coordination” with America’s European allies.

After the Times obtained an internal schedule for Patel’s trip, however, it was revealed that long stretches of time were earmarked for things like “personal time” or “cultural activities.” In response to the leak, the FBI vowed to hold the leaker accountable.

“The leaking of his minute-by-minute schedule is a criminal act that jeopardizes security and will not be taken lightly,” said Ben Williamson, the assistant director for the FBI’s Public Affairs office, speaking with the Times.

On Saturday, for instance, Patel’s schedule included a single 20-minute briefing with the Olympic security team, a brief tour of the “joint security operations center,” and a private lunch with an unlisted guest.

“The period between 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. was reserved for what was listed as ‘personal time/cultural activities,’ followed by a private dinner with unspecified companions,” the Times report reads.

Patel has faced scrutiny for his use of public resources, including the recent accusation that his use of an FBI jet – along with a directive he issued that left FBI officials “confused” – delayed the agency from responding to the mass shooting at Brown University last year. He also faced scrutiny for allegedly using an FBI jet to travel to Nashville, Tennessee to watch his then-27-year-old girlfriend, a country music singer, perform on stage.

“Since his confirmation as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel has seemingly engaged in what amounts to irresponsible joyriding on DOJ and FBI-operated aircraft at the expense of the American taxpayer and to the detriment of ongoing Bureau operations,” wrote Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) in a letter sent to the Justice Department on Tuesday.