Kash Patel said during a congressional hearing on Tuesday, May 12, that he is willing to take an alcohol test. The FBI Director agreed to the audit as he pushed back against all allegations of excessive drinking and unexcused absences against him in recent reports.
Kash Patel challenged to take alcohol test by Senate
During a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, Kash Patel snapped at Democratic Party Senator Chris Van Hollen after he brought up the allegations of excessive drinking against him. Patel “unequivocally and categorically” denied the claims and agreed to take an “audit” test.
After the FBI Director refuted all claims of drinking on the job and unexplained absences, the Democratic Party Senator challenged him to take an audit test to prove himself.
“Are you willing to take a test that’s called the audit test that members of our active duty military and others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem?” Hollen asked. “I’ll take any test that you’re willing to take,” Patel declared in response. “Let’s go. Let’s go side by side,” he added.
Previously, the FBI Director had reportedly ordered all his staff to take a lie detector test in order to identify leakers within the bureau. Patel defended himself when asked about the tests, saying, “The FBI conducts polygraph tests all the time.”
Further, Van Hollen went on to probe about Kash Patel’s alleged unexcused absences. Hollen asked, “Have there been occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you?” Patel replied, “Nope, it’s a total farce. I don’t know where you even get this stuff.”
Kash Patel then accused Van Hollen of drinking margaritas with gang members, referring to the time when the senator flew to El Salvador to visit deported Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
The update comes just two weeks after Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic. Patel accused the outlet of making harmful allegations of excessive drinking against him. The Atlantic released a statement defending its article, declaring that it will stand by its “journalists against this meritless lawsuit.”
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
