Career Timeline of Kash Patel: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Kash Patel built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Kashyap Pramod Patel is an American lawyer who became the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2025. He also briefly served as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from February to April 2025.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2005: Started as Public Defender

In 2005, Kash Patel began his legal career as a public defender in Miami-Dade County, Florida. He also later worked as a federal public defender for the Southern District of Florida.

2012: Joined Department of Justice

In 2012, Kash Patel began working as a junior staff member at the Department of Justice, coordinating with judges to approve arrest warrants. He also served on the board of the South Asian Bar Association of North America.

2012: Representative for Criminal Division on Benghazi attack case

In 2012, Kash Patel temporarily served as a representative for the Criminal Division on the case against the perpetrators of the Benghazi attack. He was removed due to disagreements with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.

2013: Assigned to National Security Division

By 2013, Kash Patel had been assigned to the National Security Division as a prosecutor, concurrently serving as a legal liaison for the Joint Special Operations Command.

January 2014: Joined Counterterrorism Division; berated by judge

In January 2014, Kash Patel took a junior position in the Counterterrorism Division. During a trial, Judge Lynn Hughes berated Patel for unprofessional attire and had him removed from the court chambers.

2016: Impetus for DOJ Departure

Kash Patel cited the Department of Justice's response to the 2016 presidential election as the impetus for his departure in 2017.

April 2017: Joined House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

In April 2017, Kash Patel began working for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, led by Representative Devin Nunes, investigating alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 United States elections.

2017: Left Department of Justice and became senior aide to Devin Nunes

In 2017, Kash Patel departed from the Department of Justice and became a senior aide to Devin Nunes, who was the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

2017: Left Department of Justice

Kash Patel left the Department of Justice in 2017, later stating that the department's response to the 2016 presidential election was the reason for his departure.

February 2019: Joined National Security Council

In February 2019, Kash Patel joined the National Security Council's International Organizations and Alliances directorate.

April 2019: Shifted Focus to Ukraine

In April 2019, Kash Patel shifted his focus to Ukraine amid efforts by Rudy Giuliani to discredit evidence against Paul Manafort. Trump personally discussed Ukraine documents with Patel.

July 2019: Appointed Senior Director at NSC

In July 2019, Kash Patel was appointed as the senior director of the counterterrorism directorate of the National Security Council (NSC). He was accused of giving Trump negative information about Ukraine.

February 2020: Advisor to Richard Grenell

In February 2020, Kash Patel became an advisor to Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, and later the principal deputy director of national intelligence.

August 2020: Traveled to Damascus

In August 2020, Kash Patel and Roger D. Carstens traveled to Damascus to meet with Ali Mamlouk, the director of Syria's National Security Bureau.

November 2020: Appointed Chief of Staff to Acting Defense Secretary

In November 2020, after Trump dismissed Mark Esper, Kash Patel was appointed as the chief of staff to acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller.

December 2020: Trump Seeks to Appoint Patel as Deputy Director of the CIA

In December 2020, Donald Trump sought to appoint Kash Patel as the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In response, CIA director Gina Haspel threatened to resign.

2020: Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence

In 2020, Kash Patel became the principal deputy director of national intelligence until May, when he returned to the National Security Council.

January 2021: Business Ventures and Podcast Appearances

After Trump left office in January 2021, Kash Patel promoted business ventures and made recurring appearances on podcasts, leveraging his association with Trump.

2021: Host of Kash's Corner

From 2021 to 2023, Kash Patel was the host of Kash's Corner, a show on EpochTV, a streaming television service operated by the Falun Gong-affiliated newspaper The Epoch Times.

2021: Patel Manages Trishul and Found The Kash Foundation

In 2021, after Trump left office, Kash Patel managed Trishul, a consulting company and founded The Kash Foundation, a nonprofit that helps participants in the January 6 United States Capitol attack pay legal costs and sells merchandise branded as K$H.

February 2022: Patel Interviewed Trump on Kash's Corner

In February 2022, Kash Patel interviewed Donald Trump on Kash's Corner, his show on EpochTV.

April 2022: Patel Advised Trump to Fire Senior Department of Justice Officials

In April 2022, Kash Patel told an audience that he had advised Donald Trump to fire senior Department of Justice officials.

April 2022: Named to Board of Trump Media & Technology Group

In April 2022, Kash Patel was appointed to the board of Trump Media & Technology Group. He also published a children's book about the Steele dossier.

April 2022: Patel Listed as Director of Trump Media & Technology Group

In April 2022, Kash Patel was listed as the director of Trump Media & Technology Group and described promoting QAnon-adjacent accounts on Truth Social as an intentional business decision.

June 2022: Trump Requests Access to Administration Records for Patel

In June 2022, Donald Trump requested that the National Archives and Records Administration grant Kash Patel access to administration records.

June 2022: Patel Investigates Claims of Toxic Corporate Culture at Trump Media & Technology Group

In June 2022, Kash Patel was paid $130,000 to investigate claims that the co-founders of Trump Media & Technology Group had fostered an unpredictable and toxic corporate culture.

2022: Publication of The Plot Against the King

In 2022, Kash Patel's book, "The Plot Against the King," was published by Brave Books. He also wrote "The Plot Against the King: 2000 Mules" in 2022.

The Plot Against the King

Check it on Amazon

March 2023: Patel Finances Misinformation Promotion and Co-Produces Charity Record

In March 2023, it was reported that Kash Patel provided financial support for promoting misinformation about the January 6 Capitol attack and co-produced "Justice for All", a charity record by Trump and a choir of men incarcerated in connection with the attack on the Capitol.

Loading Video...

October 2023: Designation Revoked

In October 2023, Kash Patel's designation to access administration records was revoked.

2023: Host of Kash's Corner

From 2021 to 2023, Kash Patel was the host of Kash's Corner, a show on EpochTV, a streaming television service operated by the Falun Gong-affiliated newspaper The Epoch Times.

2023: Publication of Government Gangsters

In 2023, Kash Patel wrote "Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy", a memoir that falsely describes the origins of the FBI investigation. It was later adapted into a documentary.

Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy

Check it on Amazon

2023: Patel's Memoir Government Gangsters Calls for Weakening Civil Service Job Protections

Kash Patel's memoir, Government Gangsters (2023), calls for weakening civil service job protections; Trump praised the book as a "roadmap to end the Deep State's reign".

Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy

Check it on Amazon

July 2024: Part-Time Guest Host for Bannon's War Room

In July 2024, after Steve Bannon surrendered to a federal prison, Kash Patel served as a part-time guest host for Bannon's podcast War Room.

November 2024: Trump Plans to Appoint Patel to High-Profile Position

In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump intended to appoint Kash Patel to a high-profile position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Department of Justice and later considered him for director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

November 2024: Nominated as FBI Director

In November 2024, Trump announced that he would nominate Kash Patel as FBI director.

2024: Release of The Plot Against the King 3: The Return of the King

After the 2024 presidential election, Kash Patel released "The Plot Against the King 3: The Return of the King."

The Plot Against the King 3: The Return of the King

Check it on Amazon

2024: Patel Consults for Elite Depot/Shein

For nine months in 2024, Kash Patel was a consultant for Elite Depot, a company based in the Cayman Islands that operates Shein, an e-commerce platform.

January 2025: Appeared Before Senate Committee

In January 2025, Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

March 2025: Patel No Longer at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

According to The Washington Post, by March 2025, Kash Patel was not at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

April 2025: Served as Acting Director of ATF

In April 2025, Kash Patel served as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from February to April.

May 2025: MI5 Director Asks Patel for Support

In May 2025, MI5 director Ken McCallum asked Kash Patel for support for a MI5's efforts to monitor foreign embassies, and protect the job of an FBI agent stationed in London whose work included surveillance technology.