Rough Times For FBI Director Kash Patel
Last April The Atlantic published an article about FBI Director Kash Patel, titled: FBI Director is MIA which seriously calls into question Patel’s ability to lead the FBI.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/
More on that later.
A previous INI article disclosed Patel’s impudence drawing from a comment he made during his confirmation hearing.
During his January 30, 2025 conformation hearing Kash Patel rancorously asserted:
“America is not safer because President Biden’s commutation of a man who murdered two FBI agents agents. Coler and Williams family deserve better than to have the man that Point Blank Range fired a shotgun into their heads and murdered them released from prison.”
The man Patel refers to is Leonard Peltier, the incident Patel alludes to took place at the Jumping Bull Ranch on June 26, 1975 when FBI agents Coler and Williams drove onto the Ranch in pursuit of Jimmy Eagle who was wanted for an alleged theft of a pair of used cowboy boots.
A firefight erupted which, although wounded, both Coler and Williams survived only to be shot in the head at point blank range with a high powered rifle.
James Reynolds, the United States attorney who supervised the prosecution of Leonard Peltier later wrote, It is a gross overstatement to label Peltier a “cold-blooded murderer” on the basis of the minimal proof that survived the appeals in his case.
In July 2021 Reynolds wrote to President Biden stating in part:
We were not able to prove that Mr. Peltier personally committed any offense on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leonard-peltier-prison-clemency-biden_n_618049f3e4b059d0bfc19e5c
A body of facts prove beyond any doubt that, despite Patel’s blunt exhortation, Leonard Peltier was totally framed by the FBI. For Kash Patel, now an FBI director, not to acknowledge these well established facts does not bode well for his tenure as the ninth FBI director.
Lavoy Finicum Shooting
Finicum was one of the activists who staged an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January 2016. On January 26, he was one of several occupation leaders who left the refuge in a two-truck convoy. Finicum was driving his white Dodge pickup truck, followed by a dark-colored Jeep.
State and federal authorities used the opportunity to intercept them with a two-phase operation involving a traffic stop and a roadblock about two miles further along the highway. The roadblock consisted of two vehicles that blocked the highway.
As the convoy entered the scene, vehicles driven by the FBI and the Oregon State Police pulled in behind the Jeep. When the Jeep pulled over, Ammon Bundy and Cavalier were peacefully arrested. The driver of the Jeep, Mark McConnell, who was a government informant was not arrested.
Driving the lead vehicle, Finicum initially kept going but eventually stopped to allow Ryan Payne to exit his truck and surrender to authorities. Finicum’s other passengers, Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox and Victoria Sharp, remained.
When Finicum reached the roadblock he swerved off the road into at least a foot of snow.
From the OregonLive:
https://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/02/post_6.html
Authorities had a roadblock up and “he ran into the snowbank and they started riddling the car with bullets.” — Sharp
Lethal force is used as Finicum’s truck “approached the checkpoint and, of course, afterward.” – FBI agent Bretzing
The timestamps below are from this FBI-filmed video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAGxDWKrjPQ
9:21 Finicum emerges from driver’s door with both hands up. –
Finicum crashes, stops for a second and then he gets out of the car and he has his hands up. — Sharp
He threw his hands up. He yells “Just shoot me then, just shoot me then.” — Cox
Finicum says, “‘Just shoot me then, if that’s what you want. Just shoot me.’ And they did. They shot him dead.” — Sharp
“All of a sudden we hear three shots like all together and he went down.” — Sharp
“They shot him right there. I swear to God. He was just walking with his hands in the air and they shot him. And after he was down on the ground they shot him three more times.” — Sharp
From 9:21 – 9:41 Minutes Finicum is staggering in the snow apparently trying to keep his balance while his hands keep moving up and down and sideways, yelling, “Just shoot me! Just shoot me!”
At 9:34 Minutes Finicum goes down.
He was shot three times in the back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDIa7egVG-4
In an interview after the incident Sharp claimed the truck was shot several times when it stopped at the roadblock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKqIOe3NGOg
After Finicum is shot dead multiple (at least four) flashbangs are shot at the truck.
“Police bombard the car with bullets.” Ryan Bundy is hit in the shoulder. – Sharp
Several times lasers are aimed inside the truck.
“They would put a laser on Victoria’s knee and I’d grab her leg and move it.” — Cox
Evidently as Finicum stepped outside the truck FBI agent Joseph Astarita allegedly fired two shots. One hitting the roof of the truck and the other missing. Astarita was acquitted of charges of making false statements and obstructing justice for denying that he took the shots. No one else has acknowledged taking those shots.
Sheriff Shane Nelson who investigated Finicum’s shooting said for the record, “The actions of the FBI HRT team in this case damage the integrity of the entire law enforcement profession, which makes me both disappointed and angry.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-agent-indicted-charges-lying-robert-lavoy-finicum-shooting/
Needless to say the whole farrago is very controversial. Especially in light of the many cases since then where real criminals commit a slew of wanton crimes with absolute impunity. But for Kash Patel to honor the FBI agents involved, as he did in July 2025, is like pouring gasoline on a dumpster fire.
On February 22, 2026 FBI Director Patel was filmed chugging beer with his wassailing friends on the US Olympic hockey team locker room, a gaffe which he was publicly lambasted for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmR5QMDeLm0&t=2s
The Atlantic April 2026 article delves into a raft of allegations regarding Patel’s alleged excessive drinking. In turn Patel denied the accusations and swiftly sued The Atlantic for $250 Million.
Sarah Fitzpatrick, who wrote the article, is a respected journalist who was a senior investigative producer and story editor for NBC News and previously worked for CBS News and “60 Minutes.” She has a history of award-winning work involving multiple organizations.
In response to Patel’s strident denials she stoutly insists, “I stand by every word of this reporting.”
To be fair Patel inherited an FBI from the Biden administration that was in disrepair but whether he has the administrative wisdom to put the FBI on a straight course remains to be seen.
Mark Adams National Security Commentator
