FBI chief Kash Patel turns tables on Democrat accusing him of weaponizing bureau

FBI Director Kash Patel turned the tables on a Democratic House lawmaker Wednesday who accused him of weaponizing the bureau to target political figures he wrote about in his 2023 book. 

Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) charged during a House Appropriations Committee hearing that an appendix of names in Patel’s book, “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,” is being used by Patel and President Trump as an “enemies list.”

“It concerns me how many people from this blueprint have been targeted with executive orders and FBI investigations,” Dean told the FBI director, before asking, “When can I, a former impeachment manager, expect the FBI at my door?” 

“Ma’am,” Patel responded. “You want to know who was targeted by a weaponized FBI? Me.

“You want to know how and why? You want to know what I’m doing to fix it?” the fiery FBI director continued, but Dean didn’t appear interested. 

“Let me move on,” the congresswoman said, trying to change topics, before Patel interjected.

“Well, you should read the book because there’s no enemies list on that book,” the FBI chief told Dean, describing the appendix the congresswoman was referring to as a list of people “that violated their constitutional obligations and their duties to the American people.

“They were rightly called out — and you should give that book to every one of your constituents so they can read about it,” Patel demanded. 

After Dean indicated that she would not be providing residents of Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District copies of Patel’s book, he replied, “That’s their loss.”

Patel confirmed during his Senate confirmation hearing that he was subpoenaed and compelled to testify before a federal grand jury as part of former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s retention of White House documents at Mar-a-Lago after his first term. 

Many have argued that the case, for which criminal charges against Trump were dismissed last July, was politically motivated.