Kash Patel Reportedly Took ‘VIP Snorkel’ Around Pearl Harbor—Latest Report Of Mixing Leisure And Official Duties


Topline

FBI Director Kash Patel snorkeled around Pearl Harbor during a stop in Hawaii after visiting New Zealand on official business, according to the Associated Press—a privilege typically reserved for dignitaries and military and government officials who manage the site—the latest reported incident of Patel mixing official business and leisure.

Key Facts

Patel participated in the “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona last summer on his way back from official visits in New Zealand and Australia then stayed in Hawaii for two days, according to government emails and flight tracking data for the FBI jet obtained by the Associated Press.

He visited the Honolulu field office on his way to those countries, according to the AP.

The FBI did not disclose Patel’s second stop in Hawaii in a news release about his visit at the time, and aside from the snorkeling excursion, it’s unclear what he was doing there.

The report comes amid heightened scrutiny of Patel’s mixing of personal leisure with official business, allegations of excessive alcohol consumption, use of an FBI jet for personal trips and reports of erratic behavior.

Navy admirals and secretaries of defense and interior are among those who have snorkeled at Pearl Harbor, an unnamed former government diver told the AP, noting the excursions are educational in nature.

No FBI director since at least 1993 has snorkeled at the memorial, the former government diver and other unnamed sources told the AP.

Tangent

Navy spokesperson Capt. Jodie Cornell confirmed Patel’s excursion, but said the Navy couldn’t determine who initiated it and declined to say how frequently the snorkels occur.

Key Background

Patel has faced an onslaught of allegations during his tenure of using his official capacity as FBI director for self-promotional and social purposes, including taking an FBI jet to visit his girlfriend and attend sporting events. Patel has been accused of excessive drinking that has interfered with his job performance, including several incidents when his security detail has struggled to wake him after a night of drinking, The Atlantic reported recently. President Donald Trump has defended Patel publicly, but was reportedly frustrated by his behavior at the Olympics, when he took an FBI jet to Milan and was seen in a viral video chugging beer with the USA men’s hockey team in the locker room. Patel has denied the allegations of problematic drinking habits and sued The Atlantic over the article.

Chief Critic

Patel clashed with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., during a Senate hearing on Tuesday over the drinking allegations against him. Van Hollen challenged Patel to take an alcohol use disorder test if Van Hollen also took one. Van Hollen posted his results to social media Wednesday, but Patel has not said publicly whether he completed the self survey.

Further Reading

Patel Still Hasn’t Released Alcohol Test After Promising He’d Take One—White House Defends Him (Forbes)

FBI Says Kash Patel Followed ‘Ethical Guidelines’ With Alleged Personalized Bourbon Gifts (Forbes)

Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic For $250M Over Drinking, Absentee Allegations (Forbes)



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