‘Who Can Stop Him?’ Kash Patel’s Upcoming Russia Trip Reportedly Sparks Alarm Inside FBI

AP Photo/John Amis

FBI Director Kash Patel’s planned trip to Russia just weeks before the midterm elections has reportedly sparked serious concerns within his own agency, prompting an effort to persuade the bureau to cancel the visit over national security risks.

According to a Friday report by The Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick, FBI officials have privately urged bureau leadership to abandon the trip, which is expected to begin next week. After their objections failed, some brought their concerns to lawmakers.

Seventeen current and former FBI, Justice Department, and intelligence officials, along with others familiar with the matter, told Fitzpatrick they were concerned about the Trump administration’s relationship with Moscow.

The timing has raised particular questions, the magazine noted, given Russia’s history of election interference and its ongoing support for Iran in its war against the United States. And just today, President Donald Trump announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to supply millions of tons of diesel fuel to the U.S. and global markets.

Christopher O’Leary, a former senior FBI counterterrorism official, argued to The Atlantic, “If there was real concern about interference in our elections, then the FBI director should be in the United States leading the effort around the clock.”

Patel has defended expanding cooperation with Russian authorities, particularly on international criminal investigations. He previously described the bureau’s developing relationships with Russia and China as “new and dynamic,” though he has also publicly acknowledged that Moscow can pose an espionage threat.

Meanwhile, after hearing from the officials who brought their qualms to Congress, Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Jim Himes (D-CT) have demanded that Patel cancel the visit and provide the legislative body with a private briefing by October 12.

“They are asking for details about any social activities, ‘a full accounting’ of Patel’s whereabouts during any downtime, and the names of all individuals who will accompany Patel, notably including ‘any private citizens or members of President Trump’s family,'” wrote Fitzpatrick.

“The whole thing to me is absolutely astounding,” Raskin told the magazine. “He will be a target and sitting duck for every kind of Russian espionage and influence operation. We are demanding they call it off. This could be a disaster for our country.”

The FBI has not publicly confirmed Patel’s itinerary, which was first reported this summer, and neither the bureau nor the White House responded to The Atlantic’s requests for comment.

Despite the objections, officials acknowledged they have little power to prevent the trip.

“Who can stop him?” a former FBI official questioned.

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