On March 4, 2026, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) requesting an investigation into whether FBI Director Kash Patel violated federal travel regulations and standards of conduct by failing to reimburse the government for at least 10 trips that apparently involved personal travel using government aircraft.
In yet another example of misconduct by Trump administration officials, Patel has used the perks of his office — namely his required use of private government-owned aircraft — to attend recreational events across the country and the around the world unrelated to his official duties. The Clinton administration fired an FBI director for similar personal use of government aircraft. The OIG must investigate and determine if Patel should also be held accountable.
Patel Used Government Aircraft for at Least 10 Trips Involving Personal Travel
While all FBI directors are required to use government aircraft for any travel, including personal travel, they are expected to reimburse the government for travel expenses not related to their official duties.
Within a nearly 12-month period, Patel appears to have taken at least 10 trips that seem to be mostly personal travel; as CLC describes in our complaint, none of these trips appeared to have an official business reason.
The most recent of these includes a trip to Milan, Italy, during the 2026 Winter Olympics to watch the U.S. men’s hockey team compete and celebrate their gold medal win afterward. Patel had previously publicly expressed his intent to travel there in a July 2025 social media post.
While the FBI maintains that the purpose of this travel was professional, the official activities do not match the circumstances. Patel did indeed conduct meetings in Rome in the days preceding the event, and his public schedule reported a 20-minute security briefing in Milan; however, Patel proceeded to stay in Milan for additional time to attend the game.
This is just one example of Patel using government aircraft for travel that, as outlined in his own social media posts, appears to be personal in nature. Other destinations included:
- A wrestling tournament in Pennsylvania;
- A UFC event in Las Vegas;
- A hunting resort in Texas;
- A golf resort in Scotland; and
- Five visits with his girlfriend in Tennessee.
Without evidence that Patel properly reimbursed the government, he appears to have used government funds for his own benefit in violation of federal rules.
Campaign Legal Center Is Holding Government Officials Accountable
Ethics laws are a critical guardrail for democracy. That is why Campaign Legal Center works to enforce and strengthen ethics laws that apply to all government officials — including those in the executive branch — while fighting to make sure that Congress does not pass laws that would decrease transparency or help these officials evade accountability.
This vigilance and swift action are now more critical than ever before. To keep up with our latest actions to hold the executive branch accountable, check out our action page.
