Raskin and Durbin Open a Bicameral Investigation Into Kash Patel's FBI Spending

On July 9, 2026, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, announced a bicameral investigation into FBI Director Kash Patel's use of bureau aircraft and other taxpayer-funded resources. Their letter disclosed a previously nonpublic May 5, 2026 letter from Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, seeking records on Patel's flights, the FBI's purchase of a fleet of armored BMW vehicles, and whether he reimbursed the government for personal travel. The Democrats cited accounts that Patel sought personal perks on official trips, including a helicopter tour in East Asia and recreational activities in Hawaii, and questioned a roughly $100,000 trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan that he justified by citing a cybercrime suspect already in Italian custody.

Federal rules permit the FBI director to fly on government aircraft for security reasons but require reimbursement for personal travel and bar using official trips as cover for private ones. Grassley's involvement makes the inquiry bipartisan and harder to characterize as purely partisan oversight.

An FBI spokesman said Patel's travel has been "fully consistent with Executive Branch requirements" and that he "has reimbursed ALL personal travel and expenses." The committees have requested a full accounting; the underlying allegations are drawn from press reports and unnamed sources and remain unproven.