Dems delay Patel committee vote, deride Trump FBI pick as danger to US security

Democrats succeeded Thursday in delaying a committee vote to advance the confirmation of FBI director nominee Kash Patel until next week at least. 

The vote, which was supposed to happen at 10:15 on Thursday, was pushed back after Senate Democrats demanded a second hearing from the Trump-aligned former Defense Department official. 

In a statement Tuesday night, Grassley said attempts by top Judiciary Democrat Dick Durbin, Ill., and others to force Patel to testify again were "basesless" as he'd already sat before the committee for more than five hours and disclosed "thousands of pages" of records to the panel, as well as nearly 150 pages of responses to lawmakers' written questions.

At a press briefing Thursday morning, Democrats criticized Patel for both his previous judgment and his candor, saying he failed to assuage their concerns about his background and previous statements during his confirmation hearing, which stretched for nearly six hours last week. They said he did not reassure lawmakers or the American public that he would not weaponize the FBI if confirmed.

"Kash Patel has no business being the director of the FBI," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said, noting that he asked Patel three "simple, direct" questions last week about whether he would lead the bureau in an independent manner if confirmed. 

"I asked him if he understood who the FBI works for, and he answered, essentially through the Department of Justice, the White House," Coons said. "I gave him another chance to answer not who they report to, but who they work for. And he said again, the White House."

"I asked if he would refuse a direct order from the President to do something inappropriate, immoral or illegal, and he would not answer."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.,for her part, cited her own background as a prosecutor, a job that she noted involves close work with federal law enforcement. "That nonpartisan, independent nature" of the Justice Department and FBI "is really key to all the work and the belief in our justice system," she said.

"To have an FBI nominee – think about this – who is repeatedly calling the people that he is supposed to be managing corrupt is beyond belief," she said. "And I am shocked that our Republican colleagues have not signified any concern about this nominee."

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