MSN – Despite promoting debunked far-right conspiracy theories popular with movements like QAnon — including the claim that the FBI incited the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 — and a very public record of calling for so-called “deep state” operatives who oppose President Donald Trump to be punished, Kash Patel has been confirmed as director of the FBI.
The Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed Patel 51-49.
He will oversee more than 38,000 civil servants, of whom 13,000 are special agents, over a 10-year term.
Patel’s confirmation hearing in January before the Senate Judiciary Committee featured the president’s avowed ally working hard to repel concerns that he would weaponize the bureau and return it to an era of retribution and paranoia promulgated by the agency’s first-ever director, J. Edgar Hoover.
Patel deflected last month when grilled about a list of “deep state” enemies he published in the appendix of his book, “Government Gangsters.” Patel called it a “glossary” and told legislators that describing it as an enemies list was a “total mischaracterization,” even though the 60 names on the list are almost all known public critics of Trump.
