Kash Patel has come under fire for allegedly using American taxpayer money and using an FBI jet for his personal use. The 45-year-old FBI director’s jet-setting moves were heavily scrutinised this week. A plane reportedly registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as government-owned, appeared to have flown from Virginia’s Manassas Regional Airport to Stage College Regional Airport in Pennsylvania, as per the Independent’s report.

The FBI director was linked to the jet journey after he was spotted at the Bryce Jordan Centre at Penn State University. His girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, was slated to perform at a Real American Freestyle (RAF) pro-wrestling event at the venue on Saturday (US time). As already accounted for by her recent Instagram post, Patel ultimately united with his 26-year-old girlfriend at this very location.

Kash Patel accused of using FBI jet to watch girlfriend’s performance

Speculations have since grown that Patel used the government jet to fly himself and his romantic partner around the country. The controversial fire was especially fanned by former FBI agent-turned-podcaster, Kyle Seraphin.

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The now-FBI-critical Patel nemesis firmly established his stance against the Trump administration official on an episode of ‘The Kyle Seraphin Show.’

“We’re in the middle of government shutdown where they’re not even gonna pay all of the employees that work for the agency that this guy heads,” he said. “And this guy is jetting off to hang out with his girlfriend in Nashville on our dime?” He laid out vehement accusations against Patel, saying that he and his girlfriend were “grifting off the American public.”

Kyle continued, “He flew a $60 million aircraft to go hang out there. Is that gross to anybody else?”

Public flight logs cited by multiple reports, including the Daily Beast, showed that N708JH, the FBI boss’ plane, landed at the Pennsylvania airport near the campus on October 25, the same day as the RAF event, at 5:40 PM EST. Hours later, it departed from the airport at 8:03 PM EST, and then reached Nashville at 8:28 PM CDT.

Kash Patel once criticised directors’ use of government jets

Heaping similar allegations on others back in 2023, Kash came after former FBI Director Chris Wray for “jetting off out on tax payer dollars while dodging accountability for the implosion of the FBI on his watch.” He branded Wray a “#GovernmentGangster” in a Truth Social post. The irony here is that Patel has himself been subjected to criticism over similar reasons in the past few months.

Having previously defended his position and the decision to use the jet, Patel told lawmakers that “Congress made it mandatory” for him to use the plane for any travel. Also reported by CBS News, executive branch policy dictates that FBI directors must use the aircraft for travel for both official and personal reasons, as it allows to access secure communications. Additionally, it also enables the director to make quick moves in case of an emergency.

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If the travel was personal, the FBI director must the reimburse the government the cost of a commercial coach air fair. In case, family guests are also on the plane, their individual reimbursements must also be fulfilled. However, Patel’s guests are not allowed to fly on the aircraft without him.

Earlier this year, US Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin also challenged the Indian-origin official for his alleged use of the government plane for personal reasons. “The Judiciary Committee must investigate Director Patel’s apparent misuse of taxpayer dollars,” he told CBS News. “The American people expect an FBI Director who focuses on the security and safety of the nation, not someone wrapped up in the trappings of the spotlight.”