FBI Director Kash Patel heartily defended his use of a private jet to visit his girlfriend, country music singer Alexis Wilkins, and said congressional Democrats attacking him over it should look at their own travel regimen.
For weeks, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have been investigating Patel’s private jet use, but the FBI boss stressed that he is legally restricted from flying commercial.
“[We] pay for our personal travel, which we do, like all members of the Cabinet and other agency heads do,” Patel told “The Katie Miller Podcast.”
“It’s ironic that they’re saying, ‘Oh, you’re going on vacation or you’re going to see your girlfriend perform’,” he later added. “And if I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to like 15%.”
Patel claimed that early on in his tenure, he instructed the bureau to use government airfields for his private travel to save taxpayers extra costs from flying his private jet out of civilian airports.
Earlier this month, Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) called on Patel to “reimburse the government for non-official travel” in a letter, Axios reported.
That request came in response to reports from the New Yorker and other outlets stating Patel was using the FBI’s private jet to visit his girlfriend, sporting events, and more.
When pressed on how often he’s traveled to visit Wilkins since January, Patel claimed he saw her perform at least three times and traveled to her house “a couple of times” for holidays and birthdays.
Wilkins defended her beau, stating she tries to travel to him instead of making him come to her.
“If I’m not working in Nashville, if I’m not on the road somewhere, you know, I’ll come here because it makes the most sense,” Wilkins explained of their travel habits.
The couple has also faced accusations that the FBI director ordered a security detail assigned to Wilkins to escort one of her drunk pals home, MS Now reported. The FBI has denied that.
But the report has given Democrats fodder nonetheless.
Another source of frustration for the power couple has been conspiracy theories swirling online about their relationship.
One prominent conspiracy theory is that Wilkins is honeypotting Patel on behalf of a foreign government, such as Israel. Wilkins has repeatedly batted down those wild conspiracy theories.
“I, too, have that question for the Internet,” Wilkins replied when asked about the origins of the bonkers claims that she’s a Mossad agent.
“I’m not Jewish. I’m Christian. I’m Armenian,” she went on. “So I’m not really sure how we got there. I’ve never been to Israel. I’d like love to go.”
“I’m just as confused as everyone else is.”
Wilkins also said that when she’s bummed out by the onslaught of attacks against her and Patel, she turns to the people she loves.
At one point, Patel seemingly teased engagement plans, promising, “We won’t disappoint” when asked.
