Gavin Newsom Accuses Kash Patel of 'Fraud and Abuse' in Scathing Attack About FBI Director's Romance with Aspiring Country Singer Alexis Wilkins, 27
Gavin Newsom called out Kash Patel's 'abuse' of the taxpayer-funded FBI plane.
Jan. 29 2026, Published 12:20 p.m. ET
Gavin Newsom has accused FBI director Kash Patel of "fraud and abuse" while calling out his "waste" of taxpayer funds, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Newsom, 58, reshared a video of Patel downplaying scrutiny of his use of the agency's $60million plane to visit his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, 27, around the country.
Newsom Calls Out Patel
Newsom called out Patel's 'abuse' and 'fraud' on X.
"FRAUD ALERT: FBI Director Kash Patel admits he uses his taxpayer-funded private jet to watch concerts and hang out with his girlfriend," read the post from the official Governor Newsom Press Office X account. "WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE!"
Patel has flown to Nashville, Tennessee, to visit Wilkins, as well as taking trips for UFC matches, sports games, and hunting trips.
Newsom's post included a video of Patel addressing criticism over his use of the agency's plane to travel to his girlfriend's country music concerts during an appearance on Katie Miller's podcast.
Patel Defends Travel to See Girlfriend
Patel argued if he was 'actually abusing' the FBI plane, he 'would go see every one' of his girlfriend's concerts.
"No one told them not to go on vacation," Patel told Stephen Miller's wife, Katie. "And it's ironic that they're saying, 'Oh, you're going on vacation, or you're going to see your girlfriend perform.' If I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to, like, 15 percent."
After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, key figures like the FBI director and attorney general were required to use government planes rather than commercial flights for personal travel for security reasons.
Because the Executive branch has designated the FBI director as a "required use" traveler, Patel must use the FBI's aircraft for any personal travel, and he's required to pay for the flight; however, the cost Patel is responsible for is around the same as a commercial flight, while taxpayers foot the bill for the remaining expenses.
Patel is required to use the government plane for personal use for security reasons.
Patel alleged he's actually saved U.S. taxpayers between $4,000 to $7,000 by changing his travel plans to go through government airbases rather than commercial airports.
He insisted his cross-country dates with Wilkins are not occurring regularly and claimed the two just "cross paths when we can."
"We took that on and said, 'Well, let's figure this out,' because we don't want to just run around," Patel explained. "And she's totally understanding. She's like, 'if you can't see me this weekend, that's ok.'"
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The FBI director has traveled to Nashville six times and Las Vegas 10 times.
While Patel dismissed scrutiny of his travel and claimed he hadn't "abused" the use of the FBI plane, recent reporting revealed the 45-year-old has taken at least six trips to Nashville and 10 flights to Las Vegas, where he recently purchased a property.
He's also used Reagan National Airport less frequently than his predecessor, despite Congress recommending to save on hangar fees and other costs.
Additionally, he sent a group of FBI agents to act as security detail for Wilkins in November 2025, which two sources familiar with the incident called "unprecedented."
Patel has also been accused of ordering agents to drive his girlfriend's friends home when they were drunk on at least two occasions.
