"“When your private actions make it impossible for you to perform your public duties, we have a big problem,” Van Hollen told Patel, referencing recent reporting by The Atlantic alleging that the FBI director had at times been “so drunk and hungover” that staff could not reach him."
"Patel immediately exploded. The FBI director called the allegations “unequivocally” and “categorically false,” accused Van Hollen of smearing him, and insisted he would “not be tarnished by baseless allegations.” At several points, Patel interrupted senators and raised his voice as the hearing spiraled into open confrontation."
"For nearly two and a half hours, senators attempted to question Patel about the FBI's budget and operations. But the hearing repeatedly veered into a referendum on whether the nation's top law enforcement official could maintain the discipline and composure the role has traditionally demanded."
"Van Hollen challenged Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, or AUDIT, a screening questionnaire commonly used by medical professionals to evaluate problemati"
Senators questioned FBI Director Kash Patel for nearly two and a half hours about the bureau’s budget and operations, but the hearing shifted into a dispute over his discipline and composure. Patel traded personal accusations with U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen amid scrutiny of his fitness, including claims of excessive drinking, erratic behavior, unexplained absences, and fixation on criticism. Patel denied the allegations as categorically false and accused Van Hollen of smearing him. Patel interrupted senators and raised his voice as the confrontation escalated. Van Hollen referenced reporting alleging Patel was sometimes so drunk and hungover that staff could not reach him, and challenged Patel to take the AUDIT screening questionnaire. New reporting also raised questions about whether arrest numbers and public crime statistics were inflated under Patel’s leadership.
Read at Advocate.com
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