FBI Director Kash Patel Allegedly Threatened Agents With Polygraph Over Missing Bourbon Bottle
FBI Director Kash Patel allegedly threatened agents with polygraph tests and prosecution after a bourbon bottle went missing from his personal collection during a training seminar at the FBI's facility in Quantico, Virginia, according to a report published by The Atlantic.
The March incident involved Patel and his team bringing at least one case of bourbon to the facility, where UFC athletes were providing MMA training to FBI agents and senior staff. When at least one bottle went missing, Patel allegedly 'lost his mind,' according to clients of Kurt Siuzdak, a retired FBI agent who assists agents with legal issues.
Siuzdak told The Atlantic that multiple agents contacted him for legal guidance after Patel allegedly began threatening to polygraph and prosecute staff over the missing bottle. 'It turned into a sh*tshow,' Siuzdak said. Other attorneys reported receiving similar calls from FBI employees concerned about Patel's bottles.
The report also detailed Patel's practice of gifting free wine and bourbon bottles bearing his name and signature. The Atlantic published a photo of a branded Kash Patel bourbon whiskey bottle, which it purchased at an online auction after the seller—who wished to remain anonymous—said it was a direct gift from Patel at a Las Vegas event.
The FBI did not deny that Patel gifts whiskey bottles with his name inscribed, stating it is a bureau tradition that predated his tenure. Former agents noted the FBI maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding unauthorized alcohol use on the job, but said Patel's gifts created a dilemma for employees who feared refusing them could result in being subjected to lie-detector tests.