Patel Denies Drinking Claims in DOJ Budget Hearing

FBI Director Kash Patel forcefully denied allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences during a heated exchange with Sen. Chris Van Hollen at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, as he defended the Trump administration's proposed 2027 fiscal year budget for the Department of Justice.

Patel testified alongside leaders from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshals Service. The agencies requested nearly $41 billion in total funding, with the FBI seeking about $12 billion, an increase of roughly $2 billion from the previous year. Officials detailed plans to bolster violent crime enforcement, counterterrorism operations, drone capabilities, training for state and local law enforcement, and security for major events, including the 2028 Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 11 U.S. cities this summer.

The discussion shifted when Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, questioned Patel about a recent article in The Atlantic reporting concerns from colleagues over episodes of heavy drinking, erratic behavior and instances where staff allegedly had to force entry into his home due to incapacitation....