History of Kash Patel in Timeline
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.
1972: Patel's father faced ethnic persecution in Uganda
In 1972, Kash Patel's father, Pramod Patel, faced ethnic persecution in Uganda and was expelled by Idi Amin. The Patel family, originally from Bhadran, Gujarat, temporarily returned to India while seeking asylum.
February 25, 1980: Kash Patel Born
On February 25, 1980, Kashyap Pramod Patel was born. He later became a lawyer and the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
2002: Graduated from the University of Richmond
In 2002, Kash Patel graduated from the University of Richmond with a degree in criminal justice and history.
2003: Participated in Judicial Intern Opportunity Program
In 2003, while at Pace University, Kash Patel participated in the American Bar Association's Judicial Intern Opportunity Program.
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.
2005: Graduated from the Pace University School of Law
In 2005, Kash Patel graduated from the Pace University School of Law.
2012: American Journalist Captured
In 2012, Austin Tice, an American journalist, was captured. In August 2020 Kash Patel met with an unnamed Syrian official to discuss releasing Austin Tice.
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: Investigated Ukrainian Interference in the 2016 United States elections
In 2016, as an aide to Nunes, Patel investigated the theory that Ukrainians were promulgating information about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.
2016: FBI Investigation into Donald Trump's Campaign
In 2016, the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's presidential campaign began, which Kash Patel later wrote about in his 2023 memoir, "Government Gangsters."
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: Syrian-American Therapist Disappeared
In 2017, Majd Kamalmaz, a Syrian-American therapist, disappeared. In August 2020 Kash Patel met with an unnamed Syrian official to discuss releasing Majd Kamalmaz.
2017: Patel Sues FBI Director Christopher A. Wray
In September, 2017, Kash Patel sued FBI director Christopher A. Wray and other Department of Justice officials, arguing that a grand jury subpoena for his communication records was retaliation for his work criticizing the FBI investigation into links between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials.
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.
April 2018: Questioned About London Trip to Interview Steele
In April 2018, Rod Rosenstein inquired whether Kash Patel had traveled to London the previous year to interview Christopher Steele, but Patel did not provide a definitive answer.
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.
October 2019: Patel Files 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.
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.
December 2020: Patel Sues CNN for Defamation
In December 2020, Kash Patel sued CNN over defamation for $50 million.
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.
2020: Promoted Italygate Conspiracy Theory
In 2020, Kash Patel promoted Italygate, a conspiracy theory that alleges an Italian defense contractor conspired with the Central Intelligence Agency to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden.
2020: Welch Asks Patel If Joe Biden Won 2020 Election
In 2020, Senator Peter Welch repeatedly asked Kash Patel whether Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election; Patel said that the election was "certified" but did not explicitly say that Biden won.
2020: House Select Committee requests communications from Patel relating to the Insurrection Act
In 2020, The House Select Committee requested Kash Patel's communications relating to "the establishment of martial law, requests to establish martial law, or legal analysis of martial law" and "all documents and communications relating to" the Insurrection Act as part of an examination into Trump's efforts to invoke the Insurrection Act and declare martial law to overturn the 2020 election.
2020: Promoted Conspiracy Theories
In 2020, after leaving office, Patel promoted several conspiracy theories about the deep state, false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, QAnon, and the January 6 Capitol attack.
2020: Echoing False Claims of Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election
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.
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.
September 2021: Patel Subpoenaed by House Select Committee on January 6 Attack
In September 2021, Kash Patel was subpoenaed by the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, and the committee requested that Patel submit to questioning regarding the establishment of martial law and the Insurrection Act.
2021: Patel Repudiates QAnon During Confirmation Hearing
During his 2021 confirmation hearing, Kash Patel repudiated QAnon, saying, "I have publicly, including in the interviews provided to this committee, rejected outright QAnon baseless conspiracy theories."
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's Lawyers Move to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuits
In 2021, Kash Patel's lawyers moved to dismiss both the lawsuits against The New York Times and Politico for defamation.
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.
February 2022: Patel Claims Clinton's Lawyers Infiltrated Trump Tower and White House Servers
In February 2022, Kash Patel told Fox News that Hillary Clinton's lawyers had worked to "infiltrate" Trump Tower and White House servers, which was used in a Fox News headline that was falsely attributed to a filing in the Durham special counsel investigation.
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.
October 2022: Patel Pleads the Fifth Amendment Before Grand Jury
In October 2022, Kash Patel appeared twice before a grand jury as part of the FBI investigation into Trump's handling of government documents, repeatedly pleading the Fifth Amendment in his first appearance.
October 2022: Meeting Alexis Wilkins
In October 2022, Kash Patel met Alexis Wilkins, a country singer, at an event as part of the ReAwaken America Tour.
2022: Patel Expresses Agreement with QAnon Rhetoric
In 2022, Kash Patel said he specifically agreed with QAnon rhetoric surrounding the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the January 6 Capitol attack, and the first and second impeachments of Donald Trump.
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.
January 2023: Dating Alexis Wilkins
In January 2023, Kash Patel started dating Alexis Wilkins after meeting her in October 2022.
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.
June 2023: Patel Sues Jim Stewartson for Defamation
In June 2023, Kash Patel sued Jim Stewartson, an online commentator.
October 2023: Designation Revoked
In October 2023, Kash Patel's designation to access administration records was revoked.
December 2023: Patel Vows to "Come After" Media Who Lied About American Citizens
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: 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.
2023: Government Gangsters memoir published
In 2023, Kash Patel's memoir, Government Gangsters, was published, detailing his experiences and perspectives.
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".
May 2024: Intelligence Indicated Kamalmaz Died in Captivity
In May 2024, U.S. national security officials informed Majd Kamalmaz's family that intelligence indicated he had died in captivity. Patel was involved in a military operation to rescue hostages from Nigeria.
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.
September 2024: Patel Vows to Close the J. Edgar Hoover Building
In September 2024, Kash Patel vowed to close the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI headquarters, "reopen it the next day as a museum of the 'deep state'", and "take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals".
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."
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.
January 2025: Former Republican Officials Urge Rejection of Patel's Nomination
In January 2025, nearly two dozen former Republican government officials sent a letter to senators urging them to reject Kash Patel's nomination.
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.
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