FBI Denies That Kash Patel Is Taking Personal Trip To Olympics On Agency Jet
Topline
The FBI on Thursday denied that Director Kash Patel is using an agency plane for personal use in visiting the Olympics in Milan, following a report from CBS News that noted Patel plans to support the U.S. men’s hockey team while he’s in Milan along with meeting law enforcement there.
FBI Director Kash Patel delivers remarks on an arrest connected to the 2012 U.S. Embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya, at the Department of Justice on Feb. 6, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Patel departed the U.S. aboard a Justice Department plane on Thursday morning, according to CBS Newswhich cited public flight data and unnamed sources familiar with the matter who said Patel, a known hockey fan, planned to attend the Olympic hockey medal rounds.
Patel’s plans to attend the hockey games were also reported by MS Nowwhich cited three people familiar with the matter who said the director plans to attend the bronze medal competition and the gold medal matchup in men’s ice hockey this weekend.
The U.S. men’s hockey team will face off against Slovakia in the semifinals Saturday, and will appear in one of the games Patel reportedly plans to attend.
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson tweeted the CBS article was “designed to mislead,” adding Patel is on a trip planned months ago and that he has scheduled meetings with Italian law enforcement and security officials and Tilman Fertitta, the U.S. ambassador to Italy, noting the FBI’s role in Olympic security.
Crucial Quote
“Please tell them yes, I am rooting for the greatest team on earth from the greatest country on earth,” Williamson said Patel told him in a call Thursday.
Tangent
Patel grew up playing hockey in New York and is described as a life-long ice hockey player, coach and fan in his government biography. The FBI director plays in a local hockey league in Virginia and participated in an NHL charity game last year, playing defense for the Lawmakers against the Lobbyists.
Key Background
Patel’s use of an agency jet came under scrutiny last year when he allegedly used a private FBI jet to watch his girlfriend perform at a professional wrestling event. Patel blasted critics and “allies” in a lengthy social media post, defending his girlfriend and calling reports of his trip “baseless rumors.” Public flight records showed a trip taken by an FBI jet aligned with the performance Patel’s girlfriend gave at the event. Weeks after the trip, MS Now reported the girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, has her own bureau security detail. Democrats launched a probe into Patel’s use of the jet late last year, accusing the FBI director of using it for a “date night” in Tennessee and a visit to see friends in Texas. Patel is also reportedly using new luxury BMWs for traveling that were purchased by the FBI at his request, though the agency has said the purchases were the most cost-effective option. Patel has also noted he is required to use government aircraft for travel, due to his role as FBI director.
Further Reading
Kash Patel’s New Armored BMW Sparks New Controversy Over Alleged Job Perks (Forbes)
