Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are investigating FBI Director Kash Patel's reported use of a government jet to visit his girlfriend and take other personal trips, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Patel's leadership of the nation's principal federal law enforcement agency has been under intense scrutiny since before he was even sworn in, and this adds more fuel to the fire.
- Patel has denied any wrongdoing, saying he is restricted from traveling on commercial flights and that he reimburses the government for personal travel.
- The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.
Driving the news: Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) sent Patel a letter Monday demanding he "reimburse the government for non-official travel."
- The lawmakers also said they want Patel — who they refer to in the letter as "Director 'Cash' Patel" — to "furnish the public with information regarding any travel on government aircraft by non-officials."
- They pointed to reporting alleging that Patel has frequently chartered the agency's Gulfstream G550 to visit his girlfriend — country music singer Alexis Wilkins — as well as to attend fundraisers and sporting events.
Zoom in: Raskin and Kamlager-Dove are demanding Patel turn over all documents relating to travel by non-federal employees on FBI and Justice Department aircraft.
- They also want records relating to his travel, an accounting of any reimbursements owed, justifications for each passenger's travel and communications regarding staffing decisions related to those trips.
- Patel is reported to have fired a senior FBI official over public revelations about his use of the agency's jet.
