Major Controversies Surrounding Kash Patel: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around Kash Patel—discover key moments of controversy.

Kashyap Pramod Patel is an American lawyer and former federal prosecutor. As of 2025, he is the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also briefly served as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives during February and April 2025.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2016: FBI Investigation into Trump's Campaign

In 2016, the FBI began an investigation into Donald Trump's presidential campaign, which Kash Patel later addressed in his 2023 memoir, "Government Gangsters."

2018: QAnon Post

In 2018, a post by Q, an anonymous figure in the QAnon conspiracy theory, mentioned Kash Patel, stating, "Kashyap Patel - name to remember".

October 2019: Filed Defamation Suit Against The New York Times

In October 2019, Kash Patel filed a $44-million defamation suit against The New York Times after they published an article about Fiona Hill's testimony in the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump.

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

In December 2020, Donald Trump sought to appoint Kash Patel as the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), but CIA director Gina Haspel threatened to resign in response. Mark Milley confronted Mark Meadows about the potential appointment.

December 2020: Sued CNN for Defamation

In December 2020, Kash Patel sued CNN for defamation, seeking $50 million in damages.

2020: Promotion of Italygate Conspiracy Theory

In 2020, Kash Patel promoted Italygate, a conspiracy theory alleging Italian interference in the 2020 presidential election. Christopher C. Miller, the acting secretary of defense, was informed and requested an investigation.

2020: Promoted Conspiracy Theories

In 2020, Patel began promoting several conspiracy theories about the deep state; false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election; QAnon; COVID-19 vaccines; and the January 6 Capitol attack.

2020: Examination Into Trump's Efforts to Invoke the Insurrection Act and Declare Martial Law

In 2020, the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack requested Patel's communications relating to Trump's efforts to invoke the Insurrection Act and declare martial law to overturn the 2020 election.

September 2021: Subpoenaed by House Select Committee

In September 2021, Kash Patel was subpoenaed by the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack and requested to submit to questioning regarding communications related to martial law and the Insurrection Act. Patel decided to communicate with the committee.

February 2022: Claimed Clinton Lawyers Infiltrated Trump Servers

In February 2022, Kash Patel told Fox News that Hillary Clinton's lawyers had worked to "infiltrate" Trump Tower and White House servers, a claim that was used in a Fox News headline.

2022: Involvement in QAnon and Views on Key Events

In 2022, Kash Patel expressed agreement with QAnon rhetoric surrounding the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the January 6 Capitol attack, and the impeachments of Donald Trump. He also signed copies of "The Plot Against the King" with a QAnon message and created the #FlannelFridays trend in 2022.

March 2023: Report Details Patel's Financial Support for Misinformation

In March 2023, a report detailed the testimony of two former FBI special agents who said they received financial support from Kash Patel for promoting misinformation about the January 6 Capitol attack. Patel also co-produced "Justice for All".

June 2023: Sued Jim Stewartson

In June 2023, Kash Patel sued Jim Stewartson, an online commentator.

December 2023: Vowed to Come After Media

In December 2023, Kash Patel told Steve Bannon on War Room that he would "come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections," echoing false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

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 presents a false narrative about the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.