Confirmation for Trump’s FBI nominee delayed over ‘enemies lists’
Right-wing former lawyer Kash Patel published a list of 60 Trump critics in a recent book that Democrats say put a target on their backs
US Democrats forced a delay on Thursday in a key vote on Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) amid a mushrooming scandal over Republican “enemies lists” allegedly drawn up to help US President Donald Trump take revenge on his perceived adversaries.
His nomination became even more contentious with the eruption of a second “enemies list” controversy this week, as the FBI was forced to identify agents who investigated the 2021 insurrection that led to Trump being impeached and indicted.
The Judiciary Committee was set to advance Patel’s nomination to a full vote of the Senate floor but Democrats demanded a second hearing with the nominee, whom they claim withheld information about Trump’s FBI revenge plans.
“These actions have political retribution written all over them, and it will get worse if Kash Patel is named FBI director,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer as he slammed the FBI list and the nomination.
“The Senate should not rubber-stamp a patently partisan nominee like Kash Patel to lead the FBI … Either Mr Patel serves the interests of the American people or serves the interests of Donald Trump.”
The minority party took advantage of a rule in the Republican-led committee allowing a single delay of a week in any nomination vote.