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LOS ANGELES.–Kash Patel, 44, showed why he’s a shoe-in for FBI Director today, facing blistering questions from Senate Democrats, all designed to paint him as a puppet of 78-year-old President Donald Trump.  Accused as part of Trump retribution against members of Congress and U.S. journalists, Patel adroitly defended the principles of political independence for the FBI which deviated from the mission to fairly administer the federal criminal justice system.  Democrats grilling Patel all supported former FBI Director James Comey, 64, when he opened up a counterintelligence investigation into 78-year-old President Donald Trump back in 2016.  Patel pointed out to Democrats on the committee accepted the kinds of abuses that were used against Trump trying to prosecute him and lock him up.  So, every time Democrats tried to paint Patel as doing Trump’s bidding, Patel dispelled the myth.

            Patel was asked to denounce Trump’s Jan. 21 decision to pardon or commute the sentences of 1,600 Jan. 6, 2021 rioters, Democrats and the press called them insurrectionists.  Democrats wanted to make Patel look like a hypocrite for accepting Trump’s pardons, never really explaining the kinds of abuses at 63-year-old former President Barack Obama and 82-year-old President Joe Biden’s FBI.  When both were in office the FBI Director was giving the power to prosecute without real probable cause to Trump’s and his 2016 presidential campaign.  No one mentioned a thing about Obama or his 65-year-old Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch or his 60-year-old National Security Adviser Susan Rice all approving the prosecution in 2016 of GOP nominee Trump because they wanted to get former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton elected.  That was life under Obama.

            Patel’s Democrat detractors wanted to focus of Trump’s pardons of Jan. 6 rioters, some of whom actually attacked D.C. or Capitol Hill police.  “So do you think that America is safer because of the 1,600 people have been given an opportunity to come out of serving their sentences and live in our communities again?” asked Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Il.). Patel responded back about Biden pardoning FBI killer Leonard Peltier whose been in prison for 45 years.  Democrats like to point to GOP hypocrisy but Biden took the cake with his own pardons of Peltier and his own family, worried that Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and Patel would go Biden family members.  Peltier was convicted in gruesome 1975 of the shotgun murders in South Dakota of FBI Special Agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler.  “Senator, I have not looked at all 1,600 cases,” Patel told Durbin showing he’s no pushover.

            Patel symbolizes everything evil to Democrats because he threatens the so-called deep state of Democrat career bureaucrats at various government agencies but especially at the Department of Justice and FBI.  Comey didn’t think twice when he was ordered by Obama and Lynch to investigate Trump in 2016.  Comey denied any wrongdoing acting dumbfounded when asked about his probable cause for his counterintelligence investigation of Trump and his 2016 campaign.  Comey acted like of course he had the authority to do whatever he wanted as FBI Director.  Patel said Comey used as probable cause Hillary’s fake opposition research AKA “The Steele Dossier,” a fabrication of charges against Trump, tying him to the Kremlin for purely political reasons.  Comey used Hillary Steele Dossier to justify seeking wiretaps on former Trump foreign policy aid Carter Page.

            Patel explained he believes in charging individuals that commit bodily harm on peace officers, whether local, state or federal.  “I have always advocated for the imprisoning of those that cause harm to our law enforcement and civilian communities.  I also believe America is not safer because of President Biden’s commutation of a man who murdered two FBI agents . .  .” Patel told Durban, prompting Durbin to go on the defensive. “Leonard Peltier was in prison for 45 years,” Durbin said.  “He’s 80-year old, and he was sentenced to home confinement.  So he’s not free . . .” Durbin insisted.  Patel simply had answer for all the Democrat detractors, not liking the fact that he was several steps ahead of them.  Durbin didn’t really get his point across about Trump pardoning or commuting Jan. 6 rioters.  Voters grew tired of Jan. 6 rioters because Democrats used it as a major campaign issue.

            Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) pointed out that the public doesn’t have much trust in the FBI.  “Only 41% of the American public thinks the FBI is doing a good job.  This the lowest rating in a century,” Grassley said, agreeing with Patel that something must be done to restore credibility. Democrats don’t care about FBI credibility they care about using the FBI for political purposes when they see fit.  Patel made clear that his FBI would be free of politics, something no America should have to accept.  Patel has “managed large intelligence and defense bureaucracies, identified and countered national security threats, prosecuted and defended criminal,” Grassley said, stating for the record Patel’s qualifications.  Patel won’t get one Democrat vote because of pure partisanship, not evaluating his credentials to serve the FBI with distinction.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.