Kash Patel To Be Ousted As FBI Director? White House Has 'No Confidence' - What We Know So Far

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Speculations are rife that contingency plans for FBI Director Kash Patel's ouster are forming, Fox News reported citing as many as 10 sources close to US President Donald Trump and Patel.

The report comes as former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey – once Trump's top pick to lead the FBI – is set to be sworn into a new power-sharing role with deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino.

Two people at the agency said the White House's reasoning for creating an unprecedented office for Bailey has not been explained, leaving FBI leadership confused.

A source told Fox News, "The White House, Bondi, [Todd] Blanche have no confidence in Kash...Pam [Attorney General Pam Bondi], in particular, cannot stand him. Blanche either."

Kash Patel to be removed and replaced?

While speculations are rife, White House officials reportedly denied any plans to remove Director Patel from his position.

Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, Bailey, who starts at the Bureau on September 15, would be eligible to fill the FBI Director post – should it become vacant – after he has been employed by the FBI for at least 90 days.

Another speculation is that Patel would not be fired but would be reassigned to another administration role, according to multiple people.

Trump not happy with Kash Patel? FBI Directors' mis-steps

As per Fox News, multiple sources close to Trump acknowledged the US president was not thrilled with some past episodes of Patel's performance.

These include a public feud with AG Bondi over the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

One senior White House official also framed Patel's botched communications during the manhunt for conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassin as something Patel likely wished he could do differently, if he could do it all over again.

Trump did not call for any action to be taken in response to it, the person said.

Hours after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, FBI Director Kash Patel declared online that“the subject” in the killing was in custody. The shooter was not.

The two men who had been detained were quickly released, and Utah officials acknowledged that the gunman remained at large.

The false assurance was more than a slip. As the search stretched on, Patel angrily vented to FBI personnel Thursday about what he perceived as a failure to keep him informed, including that he was not quickly shown a photograph of the suspected shooter, sources told AP.

As the search stretched on, Patel angrily vented to FBI personnel Thursday about what he perceived as a failure to keep him informed, including that he was not quickly shown a photograph of the suspected shooter.

On the same day Kirk was shot, three former high-ranking FBI officials filed a lawsuit accusing Patel, Bondi, and their agencies of unlawfully firing them as part of a political purge directed by the DOJ and the White House.

The larger concern, according to those familiar with the litigation, is Patel allegedly wielded authority belonging solely to the president, citing Article II of the Constitution in dismissal letters he signed. The misstep, they say, creates a legal minefield for the FBI, DOJ, and Executive Office of the President.

Patel faces congressional hearings

Patel now approaches congressional oversight hearings this coming week facing not just questions about that investigation but broader doubts about whether he can stabilize a federal law enforcement agency fragmented by political fights and internal upheaval.

Democrats are poised to press Patel on a purge of senior executives that has prompted a lawsuit, his pursuit of President Donald Trump's grievances long after the Russia investigation ended, and a realignment of resources that has prioritised the fight against illegal immigration and street crime even though the agency has for decades been defined by its work on complicated threats like counterintelligence and public corruption.

That's in addition to questions about the handling of files from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, the addition of a co-deputy director to serve alongside Dan Bongino, and the use of polygraphs on some agents in recent months to identify sources of leaks.

Republicans, meanwhile, are likely to rally to his defense or redirect the spotlight toward the bureau's critics.

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