FBI Director Kash Patel is facing new allegations over his use of bureau resources, this time involving claims that he pressured agents to chauffeur an allegedly intoxicated friend of his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, after a night out in Nashville.
The report, published by MS NOW and based on three unnamed sources, describes Patel berating the lead agent on Wilkins’ security detail when the team initially declined to provide the ride.
According to the sources, Wilkins asked her FBI protection detail at least twice — including once this spring — to escort her friend home. When agents refused, citing improper use of federal personnel, Patel allegedly intervened and ordered them to comply.
The confrontation, MS NOW reported, has deepened internal unease among agents already concerned about what they say is Patel’s aggressive and personal use of an overstretched federal security apparatus.
An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, disputed every detail of the account. “This is made up and did not happen,” he told the outlet.
Still, the allegations come at a time when Patel’s management of FBI resources is already under intense scrutiny. Late last month, he faced criticism for assigning SWAT team members — elite tactical agents typically reserved for high-risk operations — to Wilkins’ security team in Nashville.
MS NOW reported that some within the bureau feared the move could hinder the city’s ability to respond quickly to emergencies, noting that specialized agents were diverted from their usual law enforcement responsibilities.
The New York Times reported in November that such reassignments had occurred multiple times in recent months, sparking broader questions about potential abuse of power. MS NOW also noted that partners of senior FBI officials rarely receive dedicated security details except during official joint travel, making Wilkins’ full-time protection highly unusual.
Patel, 45, has also come under fire for his travel on government aircraft.
In early November, The Daily Beast and The New Republic reported that he took a $60 million FBI jet to State College, Pennsylvania, where Wilkins performed the national anthem at a Penn State wrestling event.
Earlier this year, CBS News revealed that Patel used a bureau-operated jet for two separate round-trip flights between Washington and New York in a single weekend — one for a charity hockey event, the other to attend an Islanders–Capitals game from a luxury suite alongside Wayne Gretzky.
These trips have drawn particular scrutiny because Patel previously condemned similar behavior by other officials. In a 2023 episode of his podcast Kash’s Corner, he criticized former FBI Director Chris Wray for “hopping around the country” in taxpayer-funded jets.
Former bureau leaders have now publicly challenged Patel’s decisions.
“His abusive and excessive use of the GV Jet for his personal adventures and the assignment of SWAT-qualified special agents to guard his girlfriend are indicative of his lack of leadership experience, judgment, and humility,” former senior FBI agent Christopher O’Leary told the New York Times.
Patel has not commented directly on the latest allegations. But as more questions arise over his conduct, critics say the pattern reflects an expanding—and troubling—blurring of personal convenience and federal authority.
