Former House Intelligence Committee staffer; confirmed as FBI Director February 2025; involved in politically targeted law enforcement actions
Background
Kashyap Pramod Patel is an attorney and former government official who served as a staff director on the House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes, and later as chief of staff at the Department of Defense during Trump’s first term. He was nominated by Donald Trump as FBI Director and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 20, 2025, on a 51-49 vote, making him the first FBI Director without prior law enforcement experience. Prior to his confirmation, he had publicly discussed investigating and prosecuting journalists, political opponents, and government officials he characterized as a “deep state.” His tenure coincided with the FBI’s use of investigative tools against perceived political enemies of the Trump administration.
