Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has privately demanded that FBI Director Kash Patel clarify whether he has reimbursed the government for personal travel expenses, according to new information obtained by Democrats and made public on Thursday.
The inquiry comes after reports in May that Patel took a VIP snorkeling excursion near the wreckage of the USS Arizona in Hawaii. He had previously faced scrutiny over a trip to the Winter Olympics that the bureau said coincided with a preexisting work trip to Italy.
Lawmakers now argue that such recreational activities during official travel were “not an isolated incident,” raising broader questions about the purpose of Patel’s trips. In a joint letter, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the ranking members on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, alleged that Patel engaged in a helicopter tour and jet skiing during a multi-country trip to Asia. They also questioned whether a new FBI office in New Zealand “may have been opened in part to justify a sightseeing trip you took there.”
The FBI issued a lengthy statement pushing back, calling the allegations about jet skiing and a helicopter tour “both false.” The bureau also denied that any personnel in Brussels were demoted for failing to keep Patel entertained during a trip there. “As the FBI has said repeatedly, personnel are only fired or reassigned based on performance or if they have found to have undermined the mission,” the statement said.
Grassley’s letter, which was sent in May shortly before the Hawaii trip became public, asks Patel point-blank whether he has reimbursed the government for the personal portion of any work trip. “If yes, provide all records. If not, why not?” Grassley wrote, demanding receipts. The letter also requests a full accounting of all Patel’s flights on the FBI jet, including destinations.
Beyond travel, Grassley sought information on Patel’s decision to purchase five BMW SUVs for his fleet, a departure from the bureau’s traditional use of Chevy Suburbans. The FBI defended the armored BMWs, noting they were purchased by the State Department, previously unused, and cost $270,000 less per vehicle than armored Suburbans.
In response, the FBI insisted that Patel has reimbursed the government for all personal travel and is “fully compliant” with the law. It contrasted Patel’s use of the jet with that of his predecessor, Christopher Wray, whose travel Patel had repeatedly criticized. However, the bureau only provided details on how often the FBI jet took Patel to his home, despite ongoing accusations of broader personal use.
The bureau also defended the New Zealand office opening, calling it an official event and the first new legal attaché office in a decade. “New Zealand was our only Five Eyes partner where the FBI had no LEGAT office – Director Patel is the only person to address this partnership blunder from prior leadership,” the FBI said.
Grassley did not respond to a request for comment. The developments come amid broader scrutiny of Patel’s travel habits and spending, with Democrats alleging a pattern of mixing personal recreation with official business at taxpayer expense.
