FBI Director Kash Patel not partying in nightclubs? Bureau rubbishes ‘bogus’ report, says ‘He’s at HQ every day’
Written By Prapti Upadhayay
Published: May 07, 2025, 23:46 IST | Updated: May 07, 2025, 23:46 IST
Story highlights
World: Ben Williamson, the FBI's associate director for public affairs, directly responded to a former FBI official's statement that FBI Director Kash Patel is spending more time in nightclubs than at the bureau’s headquarters.
A senior FBI spokesperson has strongly denied a sensational claim made on live television that FBI Director Kash Patel is spending more time in nightclubs than at the bureau’s headquarters.
Ben Williamson, the FBI's associate director for public affairs, directly responded to former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, who made the controversial statement on MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme. Williamson called the comments “bogus” and completely fabricated.
During a broadcast, Figliuzzi claimed that Kash Patel had become more of a regular in nightclubs than on the seventh floor of the FBI’s Hoover Building.
He also alleged that Patel had reduced the number of official briefings from daily to just twice a week and that he now splits his time between Washington, DC and Las Vegas, where he supposedly works from home most of the time.
Host Jonathan Lemire later clarified the comments, telling viewers, “Let’s circle back to a segment from Friday’s show. Frank Figliuzzi was on that morning during this hour, discussing the work of administration officials.”
“At the end of that segment, Figliuzzi said that FBI director Kash Patel has reportedly been more visible at nightclubs than at his office at FBI headquarters. This was a misstatement. We have not verified that claim,” he added.
Responding on social media, Ben Williamson rejected the nightclub and Las Vegas claims, saying they were made up.
“Mr. Figliuzzi already got exposed (and earned an on-air Morning Joe correction) over the nightclub thing he made up, but he made up the Vegas bit as well. Bogus,” he wrote on X.
He added, “Kash has been Director for 70+ days and has been home for a total of three days. I see him here at HQ every day.”
The nightclub claim drew further attention as Patel is already facing an inquiry into his use of FBI aircraft for personal travel. CBS has reported that Senate Democrats have asked the US Government Accountability Office to investigate.