FBI director Kash Patel is once again at the centre of a controversy after reports that the bureau purchased luxury armoured BMW X5 vehicles for his use, replacing the Chevrolet Suburbans traditionally used to transport FBI leadership.
The FBI confirmed to MS NOW that it acquired an unspecified number of the German-made SUVs for Patel. According to the report, Patel said that the BMWs would allow him to move around while appearing “less conspicuous.”
While the US government does deploy the same class of BMW vehicles to transport State Department officials and diplomats, such usage is usually limited to high-risk international environments.
Costly Jet Proposal Dropped
The BMW purchases come against the backdrop of another request not going through. Citing four people, MS NOW reported that earlier this year, Patel pressed the FBI to acquire a new and more modern jet for his use. That proposal was ultimately abandoned after cost estimates placed the price between $90 million and $115 million.
FBI Defends Vehicle Upgrade
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said the BMW X5s were acquired as part of a planned vehicle refresh and added that the option chosen was less expensive than other alternatives considered by the bureau. He declined to provide documents detailing the costs or evidence to support the claim that the move would result in savings compared with the existing government fleet.
“Government agencies, including the FBI, routinely evaluate, replace and update vehicle fleets based on usage, security needs or budgetary decisions,” Williamson said.
Questions Over Savings And Spending
Whether the BMWs actually saved taxpayer money remains disputed. An anonymous source said that the vehicles cost less than half the price of a new armoured Suburban, which would have cost $480,000.
A Democratic congressional aide challenged that figure, saying the government would have bought multiple Suburbans at a discounted rate.
The latest Forbes report adds to earlier criticism of Patel's taxpayer-funded expenses. He has previously been criticised for using the FBI's private jet to visit his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, and for reportedly assigning an FBI security detail to her.
Earlier, Patel said that he was adhering to FBI policy that prevented directors from flying commercially and insisted he was “entitled to a private life.”
‘An Embarrassment'
Stacey Young, a former Justice Department official and founder of Justice Connection, said the BMW request reflected misplaced priorities, describing it as “an embarrassment.”
She referred to a complaint detailed in a recent report based on anonymous accounts from more than 20 current and former FBI and law enforcement personnel.
According to that report, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Patel refused to disembark his FBI jet after reaching Utah until agents brought him a medium-sized FBI raid jacket to wear in front of cameras.
Young told MS NOW, “He needs a field jacket that fits just right, a ‘Punisher'-inspired challenge coin and a new fleet of foreign cars to drive around in.”
House Judiciary Committee Democrats have launched an investigation into Patel's use of government resources.
