FBI Director Kash Patel and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, have a heated exchange during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on federal law enforcement budget requests. Multiple outlets report that Van Hollen presses Patel on recent reports alleging “episodes of excessive drinking” and “unexplained absences,” including a magazine report cited by the senator and first reported by The Atlantic. Patel denies the allegations and responds directly to the line of questioning, including by disputing the claims as false. Sources also report that Patel addresses the controversy by defending a defamation lawsuit he has filed against the publication and its reporter.
The dispute includes more than the drinking allegations. At least one outlet reports a separate tense exchange between the senator and Patel during the same hearing, this time related to Patel’s actions and decisions regarding the firing of FBI agents.
The exchanges occur during Patel’s testimony connected to the hearing’s budget focus, with both lawmakers trading sharp remarks as the questioning continues.
