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US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American Pentagon official Kashyap "Kash" Patel as FBI director. Mr Patel, a Trump loyalist, has been a vocal advocate of dismantling what he refers to as the "deep state" within the US government.
"Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People," Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
President-elect Trump praised Mr Patel's contributions during his first term, claiming that he played a crucial role in exposing the "Russia Hoax." Mr Patel's nomination also signals Mr Trump's dissatisfaction with the current FBI leadership under Christopher Wray, whom he had appointed in 2017.
Mr Trump has openly criticised Mr Wray's handling of the FBI, particularly its investigations involving Mr Trump himself. Under Mr Wray's tenure, the FBI conducted a court-approved search at Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in connection with classified documents, a move that enraged the former president and his allies.
Mr Patel, 44, has made no secret of his desire to overhaul the FBI. In an interview with the conservative Shawn Ryan Show, Mr Patel proposed radical changes, including dismantling the FBI's intelligence-gathering operations and repurposing its headquarters.
"The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops. I'd break that component out of it. I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state," Mr Patel declared. "And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. You're cops. Go be cops."
Mr Patel would work under Mr Trump's proposed Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to restore what Mr Trump described as the FBI's original ethos: Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.
Kash Patel's Journey
Mr Patel was born in Queens, New York, to parents of Gujarati descent who emigrated from East Africa. After earning his law degree, Mr Patel worked as a public defender in Florida, representing clients in state and federal courts. He later joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, handling high-profile international terrorism cases across East Africa and the United States.
Mr Patel's career took a turn when he joined the Department of Defense as a civilian lawyer. There, he collaborated with Special Operations Command, focusing on global counterterrorism operations. His work caught the attention of Congressman Devin Nunes, then-chair of the House Intelligence Committee, who recruited him as senior counsel on counterterrorism.
Role In The Trump Administration
Mr Patel rose to prominence during Mr Trump's first term and was part of the House Republicans' investigation into the FBI's handling of the Russia probe. He played a key role in drafting the controversial GOP memo which alleged bias in the FBI's investigation of Mr Trump's 2016 Presidential campaign. Dubbed the "Kash Memo" by the New York Times, the document became a flashpoint in the partisan battle over the Russia investigation.
Mr Patel later continued to shape Mr Trump's national security policies as the Chief of Staff to the Acting Secretary of Defence. During his tenure, Mr Patel was accused of acting as an unauthorised backchannel for Ukraine.