Kash Patel's 'Out of Control' FBI Spending Probed by Republicans Demanding Answers for BMW Purchases and Jet Use
Kash Patel's 'out of control' spending as FBI chief is being probed by senior Republicans.
July 10 2026, Published 8:53 a.m. ET
A senior Republican lawmaker is demanding an investigation into Kash Patel's "out of control" spending as FBI Director.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, historically a huge supporter of Patel, has turned on the Bureau boss by writing him a letter asking "to explain why you decided to purchase BMW vehicles instead of Chevy Suburbans."
'Independent And Objective Review'
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley wants proof of Patel's spending.
Grassley also wants Patel’s flight logs probed, recognizing the FBI's policy requires the director to fly in the agency’s jet, regardless of business or personal reasons, but called for travel receipts so that Congress could conduct an "independent and objective review."
According to MS Now, he asked Patel to "provide a list of each flight you took on an FBI aircraft, including the departure and destination"” and the cost of each.
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who have scrutinized Patel's spending, praised Grassley in a separate letter for "raising these concerns, which mirror those raised repeatedly by House and Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats."
Demanding BMWs Instead Of Chevrolets
The FBI say Patel has not done anything wrong.
Sources told the committee members that his jet setting is "out of control," according to the letter
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson released a statement to the outlet, denying any wrongdoing.
It was reported in December that Patel had the FBI buy multiple BMW X5 SUVs for his use, even though the agency had traditionally purchased Chevrolet Suburban SUVs.
Williamson confirmed that the X5Ss were purchased for Patel, and said in a statement that it was routine for government agencies to "evaluate, replace, and update" vehicles for various reasons.
"Government agencies, including the FBI, routinely evaluate, replace, and update vehicle fleets based on usage, security needs, or budgetary decisions," he said
Using FBI Jet To Fly Girlfriend To Concert
Patel sparked scrutiny on his spending after being accused of using FBI jet to transport singer girlfriend Alexis Wilkins to gig.
"The specific decisions referenced in this article were evaluated partly as a way to save taxpayers millions by picking cheaper selections or making cost structures more efficient," the spokesperson added.
Both Patel’s spending and alleged partying has come under major scrutiny in recent months.
In May, the 46-year-old was accused of using the bureau's jet to fly his country star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins to a lavish concert date night on the taxpayers’ dime.
That came hot on the heels of news that he went on a VIP snorkeling trip in the sacred waters of Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, where World War II wreckage lies.
Patel allegedly whisked his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, from Virginia to Philadelphia in May 2025 to see George Strait and Chris Stapleton in concert, then returned home immediately after the show wrapped up.
The New York Times reported that Patel and Wilkins watched the concert from a private suite at Lincoln Financial Field that cost between $35,000 and $50,000.
Patel did not respond to questions regarding who financed jet outing.
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The Bureau claimed to the outlet that country singer Wilkins, 27, was "an invited guest" of the performers, who did not respond to the paper's request for comment.
"Through an F.B.I. spokesman, Mr. Patel did declined to respond to questions about who financed the outing for himself and Ms. Wilkins," the Times reported, about how the duo used the FBI's Gulfstream V jet and had its crew as well as a security detail on overtime waiting for the concert to end.
Regarding the snorkelling trip, Patel and nine other yet unnamed guests were escorted on a 'V.I.P. snorkel" trip by Navy SEALs on two boats to the hallowed location.
Patel also got heat for VIP snorkling trip.
The nation's top cop then "swam in the vicinity of the tomb for 30 minutes, according to the Navy," the New York Times reported.
"This is a war grave with the same legal status as Arlington National Cemetery," Navy veteran and professor emeritus of history at the U.S. Naval Academy, William M. McBride, shared while calling Patel's actions "horrifying."
McBride noted, "Snorkeling around Arizona is as disrespectful as playing kickball on top of the graves at Arlington."
An FBI spokesperson battled back saying Patel's snorkeling adventure was part of an "official trip."
