FBI Agent Testifies Kash Patel Targeted Trump's Enemies

FBI agent Bryan Witt testified in Federal District Court that Kash Patel, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, utilized the bureau to investigate individuals perceived as enemies of President Donald Trump. Witt stated that following a July prime-time speech by Trump criticizing FBI officials for downplaying a report on Chinese interference in the 2020 election, Patel ordered the U.S. attorney’s office in Kansas City to investigate those officials for conspiracy and obstruction.

Witt described the inquiry as a "witch hunt" and testified that the direct instructions from the director were unprecedented in his career. The testimony took place during a hearing for former FBI Foreign Influence Task Force members Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, who face charges of lying to the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 regarding investigations into Hunter Biden.

During the proceedings, Judge Zia M. Faruqui criticized the United States Department of Justice for its procedural handling of the case. Faruqui specifically questioned the use of a criminal complaint over an indictment and the filing of an amended complaint adding obstruction charges without prior judicial approval.