Kash Patel says Trump gave a low budget to FBI, then he takes a 180-degree turn: Here's what happened

Indian-origin director of the FBI, Kash Patel , who came on the radar for his misuse of FBI jets for personal use, recently showed his independence as he complained that the administration allocated too small a budget for the FBI. Testifying before a House panel on Wednesday, Patel said the FBI needed more than what has been proposed in the budget plan.

The White House budget, recently submitted to Congress, would cut FBI funding by around 5 per cent. Patel told members of the House that he would need $1 billion more than what the White House proposed.

“In order to achieve the mission of the FBI, if we continue on the current trajectory outlined, we will have to not only eliminate 1,100 vacancies currently at the FBI, I’ll have to fire 1,300 more,” Patel said.

180-degree turn in a day: What happened?

A day later, Patel backtracked his comments and said he would make the mission work on whatever budget has been promised to him. “My view is that we will make and agree with this budget as it stands and make it work for the operational necessity of the FBI,” Patel told members of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Thursday.

“As the head of the FBI, I was simply asking for more funds because I can do more with more money,” he explained his earlier demand but did not explain why he did not stick to that.

Wild accusations surface against Kash Patel

In recent days, wild allegations against Patel are doing the rounds, starting with former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi claiming that Kash Patel is spotted more at nightclubs than in the office. Another report citing FBI insiders claimed that Kash Patel reduced the number of meetings and seems not interested in his work. He spends more time in sporting events, works from home, uses FBI jets to visit girlfriend -- and the allegations go on. FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson, however, dismissed these claims and said Patel comes to office every day and his work speaks for itself. The sporting events he attended were mostly for his close friends and as far as the allegations of flying on FBI jets are concerned, the FBI director is only supposed to take FBI jets for flying for security reasons.