MaddowBlog-6 problems with Kash Patel partying with the Olympic men's hockey team

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The director has faced months of accusations that he’s misused FBI jets for personal reasons. He just did fresh damage to his poor reputation.

Top 6 problems with Kash Patel partying with the men’s Olympic hockey team:
- a collapsing FBI denial
- haunted by his Chris Wray criticisms
- wasting taxpayer resources
- he has more important work to do
- latest in a series of abuses
- fresh harm to tarnished reputation www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-02-23T14:57:56.944Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/kash-patel-partying-with-the-olympic-mens-hockey-team

After the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team won a gold medal, the players and coaches celebrated in their locker room. That wasn’t surprising given the circumstances, though there was one unexpected person in the room partying with them. MS NOW reported:

FBI Director Kash Patel, during what his spokesman said was an official trip to Milan for security meetings, was filmed guzzling from a beer bottle and celebrating in the locker room with U.S. Olympic hockey players Sunday after they won the gold-medal game.

Several videos emerged on social media showing Patel in the locker room after the game, but one in particular drew outrage from current and former FBI agents. It depicted Patel pouring what appeared to be beer down his throat, spraying some of it in the air and screaming in celebration as a player put a gold medal around his neck.

At first blush, some might find this unremarkable. The fact that an American hockey fan celebrated with American athletes after a big win is hardly the stuff of a political controversy.

But the details matter.

1. An earlier FBI denial isn’t holding up well. After MS NOW reported last week that Patel was headed to Milan on an FBI jet, at the expense of American taxpayers, to watch the men’s ice hockey team compete, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told MS NOW on Thursday that Patel was going to Milan for a series of business meetings and that it was unfair to describe the trip as having to do with hockey or leisure. In fact, he derided the reporting in a tweet.

While the bureau continues to insist that Patel attended some official events in Italy, the videos of Patel partying with the team didn’t exactly bolster Williamson’s denial.

2. Patel is haunted by his recent past. A few years ago, when Patel was known as little more than a conspiratorial media personality, he publicly derided then-FBI Director Christopher Wray for allegedly using an FBI jet for personal reasons. Oops.

Kash Patel in 2023: “I’m just saying Chris Wray doesn’t need a government funded G5 jet to go to vacations. Maybe we ground that plane. ,000 every time it takes off. Just a thought.”

— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-11-03T02:28:55.102Z

....There’s no reason to believe Attorney General Pam Bondi or President Donald Trump will take a similar interest in allegations surrounding Patel. That said, the FBI director is supposed to serve a 10-year term, and if a future Democratic president were looking for a reason to show Patel the door, he or she will have plenty to work with.

The rest of this article is great but is too long to post on DU