Welch. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Uh Mr. Patel uh or Director Patel, I excuse me.
President Trump said the following just this past week and while in Ireland where he was at a golf tournament. He said, “Quote, we had a rigged election. As you know, it was totally rigged because I won three times. I didn’t win twice. I won three times.
” And of course, the president is saying he won the 2020 election. Do you agree with that? >> There are many ongoing investigations surrounding that matter, so I’m not going to comment on it and stylize the evidence. >> So, if there’s ongoing investigations, as I know there are, that indicates you don’t you do believe the president 2020 was rigged. >> There are many ongoing investigations and for me as the FBI director to comment on the evidence would basically be in confidential >> of supporting the president’s assertion that he won in 2020, the FBI conducted a raid at Georgia’s Fulton County election office.
The agents removed more than 650 boxes of ballots and election records from the 2020 election. And they did that despite the fact that there were two recounts, including one done by hand, that showed President Trump lost Georgia by 11,779 votes. And no investigation has found any evidence of wrongdoing. And according to the uh public reporting, your FBI has brought in 260 intelligence officials to investigate the election results in Georgia in 2020. And that’s on top of the agents from Atlanta already working on the investigation.
Is that number accurate? >> As I’ve said, Senator, repeatedly public reporting is often wrong and on terms of the investigation you’re referring to, we presented a federal judge or state court judge with a presentation of of evidence and he found a sufficiency of probable cause to execute that right. >> Then have you issue has there been a single indictment from this deployment of so many hundreds of FBI agents to Georgia to investigate an election that had two recounts won by hand, a single indictment? >> Once again, that matter is ongoing, so I’m not going to comment on it. >> No, the question is not whether it’s ongoing.
The question is whether as of this moment has there been a single indictment? >> If I comment on that, that’s commenting on an ongoing investigation and the FBI doesn’t do that. >> Mr. Patel, there’s been no indictment. That’d be public information, right?
>> Not if it was sealed. >> All right. Now, in September of last year, President Trump accidentally posted it to Truth Social, a direct message to Pam Bondi, then the Attorney General, regarding former FBI Director James Comey. It said, “Pam, I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that essentially, {quote} same old story as last time. All talk, no action, nothing is being done.
What about Comey? In the post, the president called Mr. Comey guilty as hell. You agree with that? >> Many of those matters are ongoing, as you know, so I’m not going to comment on it.
>> And you’re doing an investigation, right? >> Many of those matters are ongoing and have been publicly reported. >> So, Trump previously fired Comey as FBI Director in 2017 while the Bureau was overseeing an investigation into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election. And it may Mr. Comey Comey wasn’t indicted for an image of seashells that had been laid out to say 8647.
Something he had posted 11 months earlier. And according to Todd Blanche that is because you as head of the FBI were conducting an investigation the whole time. And Blanche said on Meet the Press, “This is about a body of evidence that we have collected over a series of about 11 months.” Is Attorney General Blanche correct that the FBI investigated the case against Mr. Comey for 11 months?
>> The multiple matters that are being publicly or privately investigated by the FBI are not going to be commented on by the way. >> the Blanche assertion that the FBI was investigating Comey for 11 months. >> The The Attorney General is correct in stating that there has been lengthy investigations into anyone that >> many agents were assigned to that case? >> I don’t know off the top of my head. >> Well, another target of mis- uh President Trump’s criticism about investigations into the 2016 election is of course former CIA Director um John Brennan.
In July of last year, President Trump said the following about Mr. Brennan. “They’re very dishonest people. I think they’re crooked as hell and maybe they have to pay a price for that.” And yesterday the lawyer for Mr.
Brennan said in a court filing that his client received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury in Florida. Given this investigation was publicly reported last July, it’s been ongoing for at least 14 months. How many agents have you assigned to investigate Mr. Brennan? >> I don’t pick the number of agents I get assigned to these cases.
The SACs are in charge and they run the investigations as they see fit. >> And it’s costing millions of dollars, bottom line. Here’s the concern, Director Patel. You’ve had You’ve been more than willing to use the FBI’s limited resources to investigate President Trump’s personal grievances over previous elections, Comey and Brennan for the 2016 election and Russia’s involvement, Georgia election officials for 2020. My concern is that this means you are what you are willing to do for the president in this year’s midterm elections that the president is already saying are going to be rigged if he loses.
Last year during the president’s State of the Union, President Trump referred to Democrats in said, “This is public at the State of the Union. The only way they can get elected is to cheat.” Do you agree with President Trump’s statement? >> The information you’re discussing involves ongoing investigations and I’m not going to comment. >> asking you >> I gave you my answer.
>> about election, days away from now, [clears throat] the only way that the Democrats can win is to cheat. Do you agree with the president? Do you agree with the president? Do you agree with the president? Do you agree with the president?
>> Based upon the Russia gate hoax and everything else that’s happened, the president is completely justified in making his opinions known as does any president before him. >> Well, you’ve been asked a few questions about what the FBI role is going to be. Last month Congressman and Michigan gubernatorial candidate John James said [clears throat] to podcaster Bernie Johnson, quote, “I’ve already had a good conversation with my friend Kash Patel who has said already that the FBI will have a presence leading up to election day in Michigan in both West Michigan and Southeast Michigan. Is that true?” >> We have an election crimes community coordinator in all 56 field offices, so you bet we’re going to have them there and manning the post for election interference matters.
>> Wait, I thought you weren’t going to be sending people to the polls. >> When did you hear that? It’s just another lie. >> Blumenthal? >> Nope.
>> So, you are sending you are sending >> election crisis coordinators manned at all 56 field offices. Election integrity is of paramount importance. This FBI is not going to shy away from that effort. And if you want to continue lying about the men and women of the FBI so you can have your 4-second campaign ad, go ahead. But, the historic results, the 20% reduction in murder rate, the 1,100 terrorist attacks stopped, the 11,000 children found, the 54,000 violent offenders are what this FBI is driving towards.
The top 10 most captured, six of the most wanted fraudsters captured. You asked where we’re spending our resources. We are spending the resources and delivering the most prolific reduction in crime in US history, crushing violent crime, and defending the homeland. And that’s where we’re going to continue to do that. >> be restored.
I asked that my time Mr. Chairman. >> Please proceed. >> This is existential. You told Mr.
Blumenthal you weren’t sending FBI agents to election sites. You told and according to Mr. James, you said the FBI is on the way. And this is about whether the United States citizens, Republicans, Democrats, Independents are the deciders of this election or does election interference led by the FBI and the Trump administration? That’s what this is about.
Do you pledge that you will not in any way interfere in the will of the American people when they go to the polls in November? >> I pledge unequivocally that I will not participate in your charade of lies. >> Then why are you being such a panderer to President Trump who’s still claiming that he won the 2020 election and who has said the only way Democrats can win in 2026 is if they cheat? Do you believe that? >> What I believe in is the rule of law.
What I will always believe in >> of law is the president saying in advance that >> Are you done with your campaign, Ed? >> By the way, >> it’s been rigged. >> I want to know how your wealth increased 4,000% since you became a United States Senator. That’s a magic act all Americans should be available for. >> Mr.
Patel, >> Let’s knock it off. Um Senator Welch proceed to ask her questions and the witness will answer the questions. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
Patel, do you know you you know that the First Amendment guarantees the right to a free press. Obviously. You filed five defamation lawsuits against journalists since 2019. And you filed your second against the author of an article in The Atlantic demanding $250 million from her. The complaint is based on, according to your complaint, these are your words, that she wrote you were known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication in many cases in a private club at Ned’s in Washington, D.
C. She also wrote you were known to drink to excess at the Polo Room in Las Vegas. Mr. Patel, is the FBI currently investigating or did the FBI ever investigate the author of that article, Ms. Fitzpatrick, following that Atlantic story?
>> As a U.S. citizen, I have every right to claim the truth. She printed false material. I’m taking her to court as a personal private citizen.
>> As a personal private citizen, I >> I am allowed to participate in my own defense, especially when there’s a smear campaign, one which you are participating and continuing the falsehoods and lies that have been directed at me because of the historic You cannot stand the fact that President Trump and this FBI have made America more secure than it has ever been. You didn’t do it in your 20 years in the Senate. No other administration has done it. We’ve done it. Your time’s up.
>> Did you invest Did the FBI investigate her? Is the question I asked. >> The FBI investigates criminals. The FBI investigates criminals, and the FBI does not investigate personal matters. I told you I addressed it personally.
>> Did the FBI investigate the author of this article? >> No. >> Miss Fitzpatrick. >> You hard of hearing? I just said no.
>> I want to ask you about your trip to Italy. >> His time’s up. He’s still going to go? >> He interrupted and filibustered. Let me ask him about his trip to Italy.
>> If you would wind it down. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I understand that there’s a requirement that you take the official plane when you go to where you want to go. And apparently, you wanted to go to the Olympics.
And you combine You were 4 days there, and you did some quote work. A dinner with the ambassador, an hour with Italy counterpart operatives, three 20-minute meetings, a security briefing, and a 30-minute tour over 4 days. And then you barged into the celebration of our winning Olympic team. What were you doing doing that? Can’t you let the players enjoy the joy of their own victory?
>> What you’ll never understand players who are my friends invited me to the locker room. What you’ll never understand is that during that trip where 300,000 Americans went to Italy to participate in the games and watch them, not a single security incident occurred. What you’ll never understand is throughout the World Cup, not a single security incident occurred because we set a joint operations center up there. And the most important thing to come out of that trip besides the American men defeating the Canadians and celebrating the love of this country and inviting me into do so is the fact that we obtained the seizure and capture of China’s most prolific hacker and returned him to the United States. >> And how about your trip to the boondoggle ranch?
>> [clears throat] >> How many days off a year do you take? Cuz I took four this year. >> How about your trip to >> where I want to go after delivering the most prolific crime reduction in US history. You take 180 days off a year and you can put up to all the posters you want and all the lies you want, but everybody sees you for the complete and total fraud that you are. >> I’ll tell you what the lie is.
I think that Senator Welch was lying and it’s a lie that only Democrats lie. We need to wind down your question so we can move on. >> All right. I’ll just end by this, Mr. Chairman.
It’s the American people Republicans and Democrats and independent who have to be the deciders of who their representatives in Congress are, not the President of the United States, not an FBI, a compliant, servile FBI director who does the will of the President. I yield back. >> Mr. Patel >> Um
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