Kash Patel refused to leave FBI jet without raid jacket during Charlie Kirk murder probe: Report

FBI Director Kash Patel allegedly refused to step off an FBI jet in Utah last September until agents found him an official FBI raid jacket, according to details published in a leaked internal report obtained by multiple US outlets.

UInterview, which first reported the claims, states that the 115-page document reviews Patel’s first six months leading the bureau and includes accounts from long-serving agents. The report describes Patel flying into Provo on September 11, a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated, where agents from the Salt Lake City field office were already investigating the killing.

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According to the outlet, a veteran FBI source identified as “ALPHA 99” told investigators that Patel refused to disembark “without an FBI raid jacket,” despite not carrying one on board. Agents were instructed to locate a medium-sized jacket, eventually delivering one belonging to a female agent. Patel reportedly complained that two Velcro patch areas on the sleeves were missing, prompting members of an FBI SWAT team to remove patches from their own uniforms and run them to the jet. Only after the patches were attached did the director exit the aircraft.

Report describes tense exchanges with field agents

Mediaite, which also reviewed the report, notes that Patel had earlier “yelled” at the Special Agent-in-Charge in Utah over what he viewed as missteps in the early stages of the Kirk investigation. The document recounts an “expletive-laden tirade” about “perceived blunders,” after which FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly phoned the agent-in-charge to apologise, saying the confrontation “never should have happened.”

The internal review further claims Patel “did a disservice to the FBI” by taking public credit for progress made by other agencies during the Kirk case, a break from longstanding bureau norms, according to ALPHA 99.

Investigation into Kirk’s killing remains ongoing

Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 in Provo. As previously announced by federal investigators, DNA evidence recovered from the scene was matched to 31-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was arrested days later. Reuters reported that DNA found on a screwdriver and a towel at the scene linked Robinson to the crime.

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The leaked review has intensified scrutiny of Patel’s leadership, coming days after separate reports that a SWAT team had been assigned to guard his girlfriend which is a detail also noted in the internal document.

The FBI has not issued a public statement addressing the report’s allegations.