National Sheriffs’ Association backs Kash Patel for FBI Director

WASHINGTON: The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has endorsed Kash Patel as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders that also railed against the state of law enforcement under the Biden administration.

“We are pleased to give our enthusiastic endorsement of Mr. Patel’s nomination to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and urge the Committee hold hearings expeditiously. We believe there will be broad support for Mr. Patel and we look forward to his swift confirmation by the full United States Senate”, NSA president Kieran Donahue wrote in a letter Monday to Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively.

The NSA is a professional association that boasts roughly 10,000 active members. President-elect Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI director in November. Patel is an outspoken crusader against the “deep state”. In a book published last year, he explicitly called for revamping the FBI in a chapter dubbed ‘Overhauling the FBI’, and moving the FBI’s headquarters out of Washington, DC.

In his letter to the senators, Donahue lauded Patel’s resume as evidence he has the “credentials, skills, temperament, commitment, and experience for this critical position.”

Patel hit the national radar during Trump’s first administration, including when he worked as the national security adviser and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence under committee Chair Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

“Mr. Patel’s service will undoubtedly prioritize the restoration of confidence in the Bureau through increased transparency, integrity, collaboration, and commitment to excellence. Mr. Patel promised NSA – if confirmed – his unwavering dedication to working hand in glove with local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement at the rank-and- file and leadership levels. His commitment to the reciprocity of access-to-advise is essential to combating the most serious security and policing challenges ahead. We are certain Mr. Patel’s engagement will result in vital and effective partnerships nationwide to protect communities large and small”, Donahue wrote.

The sheriff group’s leader also took direct aim at policies affecting law enforcement that were rolled out under the Biden administration, which he said has “undermined the rule of law and burdened our nation with great risk and vulnerability”.

“Equally detrimental are the border policies that permit unchecked access to our homeland. These two factors have sadly but predictably granted domestic and international criminals unprecedented opportunity to victimise or endanger the citizens and residents of our nation. As a result, countless communities across America are under siege. Through the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, complex criminal and terror schemes are taking hold and flourishing. The blind spot created by inadequate border control and law enforcement policies has facilitated criminal activity that falls under multiple jurisdictions and therefore demands a robust and coordinated response”, he wrote to the senators.

The sheriff continued that local law enforcement agencies want to work more closely with federal leaders in order to combat the infiltration of cartels and organized crime groups in the US, but have “been denied direct unfiltered access to the President” in the last four years.

“As a result, there is a perception within law enforcement and the public that our national leaders do not comprehend the ground truth about criminal trends and lack the will, policy tools, and resources to thwart the criminal activities undermining the security of our nation”, he wrote.

“Our federal law enforcement hierarchy, armed with knowledge gained through local collaboration, must be heard by the decision makers in Washington. In this time of uncertainty, it is critical the Federal Bureau of Investigation be led by someone who has the complete confidence of the President”, he continued.

Patel previously served as a public defender in Florida’s Miami-Dade area, where he tried “scores of complex cases ranging from murder, to narco-trafficking, to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts,” according to his Defence Department biography. He also won a DOJ award in 2017 under the Obama administration for his prosecution and conviction of 12 terrorists responsible for the World Cup bombings in 2010.

Patel served as the former Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and is responsible for leading the Secretary’s mission at the Department, including his executive staff and providing counsel to the Secretary on all matters concerning the Department’s operations, according to the US Department of Defence.

Previously, Patel served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism (CT) at the National Security Council (NSC). In that capacity, Patel oversaw the execution of several of Trump’s top priorities, including eliminating ISIS and Al-Qa’ida leadership such as al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the safe repatriation of numerous American hostages.

Patel also served as Principal Deputy to the Acting Director of National Intelligence, where he oversaw the operations of all 17 intelligence community agencies and provided the President’s Daily Briefing. (ANI)