The FBI has defended its director, Kash Patel, following a report alleging he distributed customized bourbon whiskey bottles as gifts. The agency stated that Patel “followed all applicable ethical guidelines” in the matter.
Report Details
An article published by the Atlantic on Wednesday described Patel as traveling with a stock of “personalized branded bourbon” that he allegedly hands out frequently. The bottles feature branding from the Kentucky distillery Woodford Reserve and are engraved with “Kash Patel FBI Director,” along with an FBI shield. Around the shield, text includes Patel’s title and his preferred stylization of his first name: Ka$h. The shield is held by an eagle clutching the number nine, likely referring to Patel’s position in the sequence of FBI directors.
FBI Response
Ben Williamson, the FBI’s assistant director, said in a statement: “The Atlantic’s premise is false and misleading. The bottles in question are part of a common practice in the FBI that started well over a decade ago, long before Director Patel arrived. Senior Bureau officials have long exchanged commemorative items in formal gift settings consistent with ethics rules. Director Patel has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself.”
Allegations and Context
According to eight individuals interviewed by the Atlantic—including current and former FBI and Department of Justice officials—Patel has given these customized whiskey bottles to FBI personnel and civilians he met through his work. A senior FBI source told the Guardian: “Any bottle provided in an official capacity was part of that type of formal gift exchange. If Director Patel ever provided one as a personal gift, he reimbursed the Bureau.” The source added that Patel has never consumed the alcohol.
The Atlantic article claimed Patel distributed the bottles during official duties, including at least one FBI function. It also alleges that he and his staff transported the whiskey onboard a Justice Department aircraft, including on a February trip to Milan during the Olympics. During that same trip, Patel was recorded drinking beer with the US men’s hockey team after their gold medal victory—conduct that officials reportedly said displeased Donald Trump.
Previous Allegations and Lawsuit
The latest allegations follow another Atlantic report published last month that described Patel’s alleged excessive alcohol consumption and claimed members of his security team had struggled to wake him on multiple occasions. Patel denied those claims and subsequently followed through on a previous threat to sue the publication and the article’s author, Sarah Fitzpatrick. In the lawsuit, filed in US district court for the District of Columbia, Patel’s attorneys accused the magazine and reporter of releasing “a sweeping, malicious and defamatory hit piece” and are seeking $250 million in damages.
Patel has also been accused of targeting other news outlets. The New York Times reported that the FBI investigated one of their reporters, Elizabeth Williamson, after she wrote a piece that raised concerns about the security arrangements surrounding Patel’s girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins.
