FBI Director Kash Patel was spotted glancing at his cheat sheet while answering questions from senators during his latest oversight hearing.
Sitting in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Patel had typed notes specifically dedicated to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), one of the director’s fiercest critics. The piece of paper, titled “Durbin Info,” included several talking points for Patel’s hypothetical use as jabs against the senator.
One point states that Durbin’s wealth has increased by 364% since 1997, and another says the 81-year-old lawmaker was fined by the Federal Election Commission for late disclosures.
The latter point appeared to be incorrect, as the independent agency never fined Durbin. His campaign committee, Friends of Dick Durbin, was once subject to an FEC administrative review. However, that never resulted in a fine.
The next two points referenced how federal grants announced by Durbin benefited organizations represented by his wife, Illinois lobbyist Loretta Schaefer Durbin. The senator has acknowledged the alignment with his wife’s clients, often saying their shared interests “occasionally overlap.”
Patel frequently sparred with Durbin during the congressional hearing, but he didn’t appear to use his opposition research notes on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat.
At one point, Durbin grilled the witness on why the FBI changed its hiring policy to be less restrictive toward people who have engaged in acts of bestiality in the past. In response, Patel explained he approved the change because some applicants were forced into the depraved sexual practice when they were younger.
DURBIN PRESSES PATEL ON REASON FOR LIFTING HIRING BAN ON BESTIALITY OFFENDERS
“What we did was, we did not want to punish victims of bestiality, victims who were trafficked,” Patel said. “We did not want to make it an automatic disqualification for the FBI to consider you if you are a victim of these awful, heinous acts. They still have to go to the same rigorous standards and application process.”
If the alleged bestiality occurred before they turned 18, FBI applicants are not automatically disqualified from the hiring process. That wasn’t standard policy until the bureau issued a memo changing it in June.