US President Donald Trump officially signed the commission to appoint Kash Patel as the ninth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on February 20. He is the first Indian-origin appointed to this position. The lawyer and former federal prosecutor was confirmed as FBI Director following a close vote in the US Senate, with 51 votes in his favour and 49 votes against him. Patel, who is also known to be a conspiracy theorist, had vowed that he would lead the FBI to investigate US President Donald Trump's political enemies.
In a post on X, Patel wrote, "To those who seek to harm Americans--consider this your warning. We will hunt you down in every corner of this planet. Mission First. America Always. Let's get to work." He also said he would rebuild the FBI into one that is “transparent, accountable, and committed to justice”.
Kash Patel's Origins
Kash Patel was born on February 25, 1980, to Gujarati immigrants in Garden City, New York. He has often spoken about his Indian ancestry and how have shaped his values.
He earned a Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law. The 45-year-old lawyer began his legal career as a public defender, handling multiple cases from murder and narco-trafficking to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts.
Patel has held several critical positions, including deputy assistant to the President and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC).
The 45-year-old lawyer was responsible for missions working towards “eliminating ISIS and Al-Qa’ida leadership such as al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the safe repatriation of numerous American hostages,” according to the US Defence Department.
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