Career Timeline of Kash Patel: Major Achievements and Milestones

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

Kash Patel is an American lawyer and former federal prosecutor. He is currently the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a role he has held since 2025. Briefly, he also served as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in early 2025.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2000: Book Title

The Plot Against the King: 2000 Mules (2022) is a storybook about the Steele dossier, which was published by Brave Books

2005: Started as a Public Defender

In 2005, Kash Patel started working as a public defender in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and later as a federal public defender for the Southern District of Florida, beginning his career in law.

2012: Joined Department of Justice

In 2012, Kash Patel began working as a junior staff member at the Department of Justice routing arrest warrants.

2012: Benghazi attack case

In 2012, Kash Patel temporarily served as a representative for the Criminal Division on the case against the perpetrators of the 2012 Benghazi attack, but he was allegedly removed over disagreements he had with the office leading the case, 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 and concurrently served as a legal liaison for the Joint Special Operations Command.

January 2014: Junior Position in Counterterrorism Division

In January 2014, Kash Patel took a junior position in the Counterterrorism Division and participated in a charity auction for Switchboard of Miami. Also in January 2014, at a trial for Omar Faraj Saeed al-Hardan, a Palestinian accused of providing material support to the Islamic State, Judge Lynn Hughes berated Patel for his unprofessional attire and had him removed from the court chambers.

2014: Counterterrorism Division

In 2014, Kash Patel began working in the Counterterrorism Division, further specializing in national security and counterterrorism efforts.

April 2017: Joined House Intelligence Committee

In April 2017, Kash Patel began working for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, then led by Representative Devin Nunes, investigating the theory that Ukrainians were promulgating information about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.

2017: Senior Aide to Devin Nunes

In 2017, Kash Patel became a senior aide to Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he became the primary author of the Nunes memo.

2017: Left Department of Justice

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

April 2018: Rosenstein Inquiry

In April 2018, Rod Rosenstein asked whether Patel had traveled to London the previous year to interview Christopher Steele regarding the Nunes memo.

February 2019: Joined National Security Council

In February 2019, Kash Patel joined the National Security Council's International Organizations and Alliances directorate, expanding his role in national security affairs.

April 2019: Shifted Focus to Ukraine

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

July 2019: Appointed Senior Director of Counterterrorism

In July 2019, Kash Patel was appointed as senior director of the counterterrorism directorate of the National Security Council (NSC).

February 2020: Senior Advisor to Richard Grenell

In February 2020, Kash Patel became a senior advisor to Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, and later became 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: Appointment as Miller's Chief of Staff

In November 2020, Kash Patel was appointed as chief of staff to acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller after Trump dismissed Esper. Patel was described as influential within the Department of Defense during the presidential transition and faced allegations of obstructing the transition.

December 2020: Trump's consideration of Patel for CIA Deputy Director

In January 2021, it was reported that in December 2020, Trump considered appointing Kash Patel as the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, but CIA director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in response. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff questioned whether Patel would replace Wray or Haspel.

2020: Aide to Richard Grenell

In 2020, Kash Patel was named as an aide to Richard Grenell, the acting director of national intelligence, later becoming the principal deputy director of national intelligence until May, when he returned to the National Security Council. Also in 2020 Trump was involved in a plan to oust FBI director Christopher A. Wray and a separate effort to oust Central Intelligence Agency director Gina Haspel and name Patel deputy director of both agencies.

January 2021: Leveraging Association with Trump

In January 2021, after Donald Trump left office, Kash Patel leveraged his association with Trump to promote business ventures and made recurring podcast appearances.

January 2021: Trump's consideration of Patel for CIA Deputy Director

In January 2021, it was reported that Trump considered appointing Kash Patel as the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency in December 2020, but CIA director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in response. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff questioned whether Patel would replace Wray or Haspel.

2021: Management of Trishul and Founding of The Kash Foundation

After Trump left office in 2021, Kash Patel managed Trishul, a consulting company. He also 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.

2021: Hosting Kash's Corner on EpochTV

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

2021: Kash's Corner Launch

In 2021, Kash Patel launched "Kash's Corner" (2021-2023) where he advocated for reforming the FBI due to its alleged "illegitimacy". He also cited the Hunter Biden laptop controversy and pushed the Russia investigation origins conspiracy theory on the show.

February 2022: Interviewing Trump on Kash's Corner

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

April 2022: Director of Trump Media & Technology Group

In April 2022, Kash Patel was listed as the director of Trump Media & Technology Group. As director, he described promoting QAnon-adjacent accounts on Truth Social, Trump Media's social media service, as an intentional business decision to "capture audiences".

April 2022: Patel advises Trump to fire DOJ officials

In April 2022, Patel revealed that he had advised Trump to fire senior officials at the Department of Justice.

June 2022: Investigation into Trump Media & Technology Group Culture

In June 2022, Kash Patel was paid $130,000 to investigate claims of a "toxic corporate culture" at Trump Media & Technology Group.

2022: Publication of Children's Books

In 2022, Kash Patel published "The Plot Against the King", a storybook about the Steele dossier, with Brave Books. He also published "The Plot Against the King: 2000 Mules" in 2022.

The Plot Against the King

Check it on Amazon

2023: Hosting Kash's Corner on EpochTV

From 2021 to 2023, Patel was the host of Kash's Corner, a show on EpochTV, a streaming television service operated by 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 about the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

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

Check it on Amazon

2023: Publication of Memoir

In 2023, Kash Patel's memoir, "Government Gangsters", was published, detailing his experiences and perspectives.

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

Check it on Amazon

July 2024: Guest hosting Bannon's War Room podcast

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

November 2024: Nominated as FBI Director

In November 2024, Donald Trump announced that he would dismiss Wray as FBI director and nominate Kash Patel as his replacement.

November 2024: Consideration for high-profile position in FBI or DOJ

In November 2024, it was reported that 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, with potential consideration for FBI director or CIA director.