A senior FBI official, Steven Palmer, in charge of the agency’s aviation program has been forced out following a $60 million FBI jet controversy involving Director Kash Patel, Bloomberg reported. The FBI chief reportedly grew furious over public scrutiny of his own travel records, according to three people familiar with the matter.
According to sources, Patel’s frustration began after news stories and social media posts called out his use of an FBI jet to attend a wrestling match in State College, Pennsylvania. His girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, had performed the national anthem at the event, which led to the controversy and his decision to suspend the official.
Who is Steven Palmer, the FBI official fired after jet details leaked
Steven Palmer, a 27-year veteran of the Bureau, became the third head of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) to lose his job during Patel’s short tenure. Patel was appointed as the director of the FBI after President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office earlier this year. According to Bloomberg, Palmer’s removal was finalised on Friday, and the FBI has already listed a replacement to oversee crisis operations such as hostage rescue and bomb detection.
Palmer joined the FBI in 1998 and rose through the ranks from field agent to senior leadership position, overseeing high-stakes operations such as hostage rescues, major event security, and crisis response at the FBI’s Quantico campus.
While Patel’s role as director gives him the right to travel on government aircraft for security reasons, the public reaction to his weekend trip was extremely critical. Much of the scrutiny came after a former FBI agent, now a vocal critic of Patel, posted about his flight path online.
Palmer, who was managing the FBI’s aviation units, was soon told to resign immediately or face termination, sources said. His exit, they added, appeared to be connected to Patel’s anger over the negative press surrounding his personal travel.
Devin Kowalski appointed as new head of CIRG
According to Bloomberg, the Bureau’s official website now lists Devin Kowalski, who previously led the FBI’s San Juan field office, as the new head of the CIRG. Sources said Kowalski’s appointment was already planned before the jet controversy, and that Palmer had been expected to stay on as his deputy. Kowalski has prior experience as a special assistant to the CIRG director.
The termination has confused the public and further sparked anger, as many are questioning why Patel fired Palmer when he was the one who shared the photos online. Patel himself reposted pictures with Wilkins from the event on his X (formerly Twitter) account, confirming his travel details.
Palmer is just another name on the growing list of top FBI officials shown the door under Patel’s leadership. He had stepped into the acting CIRG role in August after Brian Driscoll, the previous chief, was fired. Driscoll has since filed a lawsuit alongside other fired FBI officials.
Before Driscoll, Wes Wheeler led the same group until he, too, was told to resign in March. Several other senior officials at FBI headquarters and Quantico were also removed around that time.
