The FBI reportedly recently purchased a fleet of armoured BMW vehicles at the request of Director Kash Patel, whose use of government-issued transportation has been at the center of ongoing controversy.
Rather than opt for the typical armored Chevrolet Suburban, Patel pressed for the FBI to purchase several BMW X5s for his use because they are less conspicuous during outings, several sources familiar with the situation told MS NOW.
But a spokesperson for the bureau, who confirmed the vehicle purchases to MS NOW, said the new vehicles were actually a taxpayer-saving decision because they are less expensive than other options.
“The FBI needed to update their vehicle fleet with four vehicles (which is common for security agencies) – and instead of paying for the traditional SUVs the FBI always buys, Patel chose a vehicle that is about $250k CHEAPER,” FBI deputy assistant for public affairs Ben Williamson wrote on X.
Williamson claimed Patel’s decision would say “around $1 million,” though he declined to provide MS Now with documents that proved his claim and called the reporting “the most laughably dishonest framing I have ever seen.”
It’s unclear if the purchase of the BMW vehicles is less expensive than the traditional Suburbans. An anonymous source told MS NOW that each armored Suburban would have cost the government $480,000 to purchase – twice the amount of a new BMW.
While the vehicles may be saving the bureau some money, the decision to buy foreign-made cars is ironic, given President Donald Trump enacted steep tariffs on Europe to promote domestic manufacturing and purchasing.
The new report comes as Patel faces scrutiny for what some believe is an over-utilization of the FBI jet for personal reasons.
As FBI director, Patel is required to use the FBI plane because he must have access to secure communications equipment, even for personal trips. However, directors are supposed to reimburse the government for the use of the plane for personal reasons at the price of a commercial ticket.
Patel has defended his use of the jet to visit his girlfriend and attend sporting events,
“The FBI director — all FBI directors — are required users of the FBI plane. They don’t let me fly commercially,” Patel told Fox News earlier this month, adding that he is “entitled to a personal life.”
“But my predecessors wasted millions of dollars because they were too lazy to drive an extra 20 minutes and go to Andrews Air Force Base. They used D.C. Reagan National as a personal hub, costing the taxpayers $4 million. I shut that policy off and mandated the use of government airfields,” the FBI director added.
In response to the new FBI vehicle report, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, a ranking member on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, said, “It’s time to KASH OUT.”
“Director Patel has lost the confidence of the team he must lead. Their leaks are desperate pleas to give them a director who can keep us safe,” Swalwell wrote, calling on Patel to resign.
