WASHINGTON, D.C.. Feb. 21 (UPI/Gephardt Daily) — The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director.
The Senate voted 51-49 to confirm Patel with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining a unified Democratic Senate caucus in voting against his nomination, ABC News, NBC News and Politico reported.
Utah’s senators, John Curtis and Mike Lee both voted to confirm Patel, despite past statements he’d made referring to Jan. 6 rioters as “political prisoners” and those who had investigated Donald Trump “criminal gangsters.”
During hia confirmation hearing, however Patel said disagreed with Trump on the Jan. 6 pardons, and that he rejected violence against law enforcement and didn’t support pardons “of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”
Prior to the vote, Curtis said on X, “My primary concern with his nomination was ensuring he would approach the role without political bias—an essential quality for any FBI Director. After careful consideration, I plan to vote yes on his confirmation.”
Lee also voiced support for Patel ahead of the vote, saying during Patel’s Senate’s confirmation hearing, “Every FBI director I’ve questioned has lied to me. Kash Patel told the truth.”
President Donald Trump nominated Patel to replace former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who Trump nominated for a 10-year term during his first term as president.
Trump and other Republicans accused Wray of politicizing the FBI and blamed him for the raiding the president’s Mar-a-Lago home and investigating parents who accused schools of indoctrinating youth.
Democrats adamantly opposed Patel’s nomination over concerns over politically motivated firings at the FBI, conspiracy theories touted by Patel and an enemies list of dozens of people Patel published in a memoir, but Republicans, who have so far advanced Trump’s other nominees, control the chamber.
Murkowski cited recent politicization of the FBI as her reason for opposing Patel’s nomination.
“My reservations with Mr. Patel stem from his own prior political activities and how they may influence his leadership,” Murkowski said Thursday in a post on X.
“The FBI must be trusted as the federal agency that roots out crime and corruption, not focused on settling political scores,” she said.
“I have been disappointed that when he had the opportunity to push back on the administration’s decision to force the FBI to provide a list of agents involved in the January 6 investigations and prosecutions he failed to do so.”
