Senate Democrats seek inquiry into Kash Patel's use of FBI aircraft
Source: CBS News
Updated on: April 29, 2025 / 10:19 PM EDT
Senate Democrats have asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to review the FBI Director Kash Patel's personal travel on government aircraft, according to GAO and congressional sources. The review will examine Patel's use of the FBI's private fleet of jets, as well as every director's approach since 2013, when the GAO last studied the issue.
Investigators at the congressional watchdog agency are expected to examine Patel's flight records to determine the purpose of his travel, how much the bureau spent and whether Patel reimbursed the government for personal trips. Last week, both CBS News and the New York Times reported on questions swirling within the FBI about the degree to which Patel has used government aircraft for purely personal reasons, including trips to visit his girlfriend and attend hockey games and other sporting events. Asked about the inquiry, the FBI declined to comment.
FBI directors are required by executive branch policy to use government aircraft for air travel, whether official or personal. That allows them to maintain access to secure communications wherever they travel and to move quickly in the event of an emergency. They must reimburse the government for personal flights at coach fare rates. Directors are permitted to take family or friends on personal trips, but the cost of their trips must be reimbursed to the government, as well.
The FBI wouldn't share Patel's flight schedule, citing security concerns, and officials declined to confirm his presence on a number of flights to destinations that matched his appearances in those same places. During the first week of April, for example, a Boeing 757 leased by the Justice Department made two round-trip flights to New York.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kash-patel-fbi-aircraft-democrats-gao-inquiry/
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