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Kash Patel's alleged locker room video with Dylan Larkin at Olympics sparks row; FBI chief 'caught in a lie'
FBI chief Kash Patel has found himself in the center of controversy for attending a hockey game at the Olympics after his spokesperson slammed ‘false’ reports.
FBI director Kash Patel has found himself in the center of a controversy after he attended an Olympics hockey game. The row comes as his spokesperson had only recently slammed ‘false’ reports that the chief had flown to Italy on taxpayer money to catch the game.
“Your rag outlet wrote that [Patel] went to hang out at the Olympics on the taxpayer dime – even when provided information that your theory was false. When you’re ready to correct that let me know. Won’t hold my breath,” Ben Williamson had written, slamming the MS Now report on the matter. However, the tables quickly turned after a an alleged video showing Patel in the hockey team's locker room went viral.
“Kash Patel was accidentally recorded on Team USA’s Dylan Larkin’s Instagram video (now-deleted) celebrating with Team USA in the locker room after the Gold medal game, even though the FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs claimed it was false when MSNow Journalists reported that Patel was going to the Olympics on Taxpayers’ dime,” a political commentator wrote on X.
"Caught in a lie," the person added. The video was shared widely, including by MS NOW’s Ken Dilanian and Steve Baker, a reporter for the pro-Donald Trump outlet The Blaze.
Also Read | Kash Patel faces backlash after using FBI jet to watch girlfriend perform
Kash Patel shares photos from hockey game
Patel himself shared photos from the hockey game amid the row. “Unity, Sacrifice, Attitude- what it takes to be the best in the world. These men live and breathe it. Now Team USA are gold medal champions, legends standing on the shoulders of giants. Thank you for representing the greatest country on earth, in the greatest game ever created,” he wrote on X.
He also addressed the raging controversy in a later post on X. “For the very concerned media - yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth,” the FBI director wrote.
Estimates indicate that Patel's trip would have cost the taxpayer about $75,000 for the flight. However, the FBI spokesperson tried to defend the director, who is known to be an avid hockey fan.
As per Williamson, Patel was there for meetings with ambassadors, Italian law enforcement and US agents at Legat. He noted that the FBI had a major role in Olympics security. However, the visuals that have emerged since then led to many expressing their ire at Patel and Williamson.
“So tired of funding vacations for Kash Patel and Kristi Noem,” one person remarked. Another added “Kash Patel was just EXPOSED for partying with Team USA at the Winter Olympics. The excuse for his trip was meetings with law enforcement but in reality it was just Kash abusing taxpayer funds to party.”
Yet another said “Our tax dollars just paid for Kash Patel to go hang out at the Olympics and then he got caught lying about it. Seriously.”
Patel has earlier faced flak for alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars as well. The criticism against Patel and the FBI comes when they're handling the high-profile kidnapping case of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie, who's yet to be found.
