Concern grows within FBI about director Kashi PatelColleagues accused the Indian-origin agency chief of alcoholism and unexplained absences, which they said affected his leadership.According to multiple current and former FBI officials, Patel’s actions raised alarm within the FBI and across the U.S. government. Some have described his tenure as erratic, noting that his actions have caused chaos and disrupted normal operations.Such an incident occurred on April 10, when Patel struggled to log into the internal system, believing he had been locked out. He thought he was fired and contacted his assistant in a “panic.” The situation has raised concerns within the FBI and prompted the White House and members of Congress to ask who leads the agency. The issue was later discovered to be a technical error.Two dozen people, including FBI personnel and others familiar with Patel’s work, told reporters that he “acted erratically, was suspicious of others, and was prone to jumping to conclusions before he had the necessary evidence,” according to a report cited by The Atlantic. Several officials said his drinking problem had been a concern. They claimed he was visibly drunk on multiple occasions, including at private venues in Washington and during a trip to Las Vegas. Some said meetings and briefings had to be postponed because of late nights due to alcohol abuse.His security detail reportedly struggled to wake him up on more than one occasion. At one point he failed to respond behind a locked door and was subsequently approached with a “destruction of equipment” request.Officials also expressed concerns about his availability in crunch time. Some said they were worried about how he would respond in the event of a major security threat. Patel also received backlash for her response to the death of MAGA commentator Charlie Kirk. “That’s what keeps me up at night,” one official said.Patel’s attendance was also questioned. The Atlantic quoted sources as saying that his frequent absences from FBI headquarters led to delays in decision-making. In some cases, this can slow down investigations and frustrate agents.His handling of sensitive cases has also drawn criticism. He publicly announced that the FBI had detained a “person of interest” in a high-profile shooting, but that person was later released as the investigation continued.At the same time, Patel has received strong support from U.S. President Donald Trump and some within the Republican administration.Patel has denied the accusations. “Print it out, it’s all fake, see you in court – bring your checkbook,” the FBI said in a statement he wrote.
