President-elect Donald Trump is going with a longtime ally of his in Kashyap "Kash" Patel to serve as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In a Truth Social post made Saturday, Trump confirmed his pick.
"Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People," Trump said. "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution."
Patel, 44, has experience in national security and counterterrorism. He served as senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council and then became the chief of staff for acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller from 2020-2021. Patel also helped uncover the bureau's surveillance of the Trump campaign during his first term as president.
As an attorney, Patel got his start as a public defender in Florida’s Miami-Dade County. He attended the University of Richmond before getting his law degree from Pace University in New York.
Current FBI director Christopher Wray is in the middle of a 10-year appointment that started in 2017. It's unclear yet if Wray will step down before he's eventually fired by Trump.
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