Kash Patel orders polygraphs of over two dozen staff members while in ‘panic mode’ to save his job
WASHINGTON, DC: FBI Director Kash Patel, in a major ‘panic mode’, has reportedly ordered dozens of lie detector tests to flush out leakers and secure his job.
Patel’s move appeared to come in response to a report by Sarah Fitzpatrick in The Atlantic last month, which highlighted concerns among his employees about his drinking habits and said he was fearful of being fired by President Donald Trump.
It also alleged that Patel lashed out at colleagues after mistakenly believing he had been locked out of an internal computer system.
He has since denied the claims made in the article and has launched a $250 million defamation lawsuit in response.
It was also reported earlier this week that Patel had ordered a team of FBI agents to launch a criminal leak investigation into how the story got out, which the bureau has denied.
Kash Patel orders lie detector tests while in ‘panic mode’
The claims about Patel ordering lie detector tests were made in a new report from MS Now, which cited two sources “briefed on the development” who say more than two dozen former and current members of his security detail and other staff have been ordered to take polygraphs after the bombshell report came out late last month.
Patel is reportedly scrambling to identify leakers within his team as he fights to protect his position following a string of damaging reports about his leadership.
At the same time, the report claims he has become increasingly isolated from senior bureau officials and has avoided meetings throughout the week.
Sources told MS Now that he is concentrating on staff members who travel with him for work or have access to sensitive internal information, as he tries to determine whether any of them spoke with reporters.
Reports expose Kash Patel’s gifting habits
This is not the only time when Patel has threatened to order lie detector tests on his staff.
In this week’s reporting for The Atlantic, Sarah Fitzpatrick revealed that Patel frequently gifted personalized bourbon bottles to FBI employees and civilians. According to the report, he brought a full case of the bourbon to the FBI training academy in Quantico, Virginia, during a March “training seminar” with the UFC.
However, the situation went out of hand when one of the bottles went missing. Kurt Siuzdak, a retired FBI agent who assists agents with legal matters, claimed Patel became furious over the missing bourbon. Siuzdak said several FBI agents later sought legal advice after Patel allegedly threatened them with polygraph tests and possible prosecution.
“It turned into a s---show,” Siuzdak told the outlet. Other attorneys cited by the magazine said their clients had reported similar concerns about threatened polygraph examinations.
The report also claimed President Donald Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Patel’s conduct. Trump, who does not drink alcohol and has spoken publicly about losing his brother to alcoholism, was reportedly unhappy after Patel was seen drinking beers with the Team USA men’s hockey squad following their Olympic gold medal victory.
Trump reportedly did not like the optics of his officials drinking while claiming they were on official government business.
