FBI Director Kash Patel is scheduled to travel to Russia this fall, according to a report.
A U.S. official said Patel is expected to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg from Oct. 14 to 15 and that his host will likely be Russia’s Federal Security Service, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, according to Politico.
It remains unclear whether Patel will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin or any of his senior aides or what the agenda for the trip will include.
The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last month, the House approved an additional $1.3 billion in aid for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia, defying both House GOP leadership and President Donald Trump’s preferred approach to ending the conflict.
The last FBI director known to have traveled to Russia was Robert Mueller in 2013.
Patel has also faced growing scrutiny over his use of taxpayer-funded travel. Earlier this month, the top Democrats on the House and Senate judiciary committees launched a bicameral investigation into his alleged misuse of government resources.
Among the trips that have drawn criticism, Patel attended the men’s hockey gold medal game at the Winter Olympics in Italy, went snorkeling near the USS Arizona wreck at Pearl Harbor, and has been accused of using a government aircraft to attend performances by his girlfriend, a country music singer.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, senior Biden administration officials largely avoided traveling to Russia, though the U.S. Embassy in Moscow remained open.
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By contrast, Trump has sought to improve relations with Putin during his second term. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have each traveled to Russia multiple times, including diplomatic meetings with Putin.
Patel has long been one of the most outspoken critics of the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, repeatedly describing it as a “Russia hoax” manufactured by Trump’s political opponents. Between Trump’s two terms, Patel continued to challenge the origins of the investigation, authored children’s books mocking Democrats involved in the investigation, and faced scrutiny over a $25,000 payment tied to a documentary financed by a Kremlin-linked production company.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
