FBI Director Kash Patel reveals in Joe Rogan interview that his home was targeted in swatting attempt
Patel was a guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience," and during the interview, the FBI director broke news about his home getting swatted.
"As Director of the FBI of responsibility, I'm not just gonna bring a case because somebody hurt me. They did. And they continue to do it," Patel said. "S--t. My house just got swatted yesterday."
Swatting is when a person attempts to send armed law enforcement to another person's house over a fake incident, which has led to deadly consequences in the past.
Dhs Boss Noem Vows To 'Hunt' Down Those Making Swatting Calls Targeting Conservative Media
The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the matter.
Read On The Fox News App
Klas in Las Vegas reported that a swatting call was reported at Patel's home on Tuesday morning at about 11:15 a.m.
When police reached out to the residence, they were able to determine the call was a fake before sending a response team to check it out.
Patel mentioned the swatting as he spoke to Rogan about exposing the corruption of the leadership in place before President Donald Trump's return to the Oval Office. Specifically, the same leadership did whatever it could do to protect themselves and their friends, and Patel said it was his mission to educate the world that it happened.
Fbi Investigating Rise In Swatting Incidents After Several Conservatives Targeted, Kash Patel Says
"It's the ultimate height of hypocrisy," Patel said. "They have two sets of rules, one against you and one for them. And what I want to do is lay out that entire body of work for the American people with Congress."
He also said he wants to "let the American people know that my mission has always been to put out the truth, whatever the consequences are, whoever it's against, like I did when I signed up for Russiagate. If Donald Trump was a Russian asset and I proved it, I was telling the world that. That's what matters."
"If we can hold people accountable in terms of indictments, then we'll work with our partners at DOJ," he continued. "His leadership team is in place. We've got great partners at DOJ. We're the ones working on all this stuff."
Patel then turned his attention to the Jeffrey Epstein case, telling Rogan that people are upset that Epstein got a "sweetheart plea deal" for committing the most horrific crimes on the planet nearly 20 years ago.
I Worked With Kash Patel To Expose The Russia Hoax And Know He's The Best Pick To Reform The Fbi
But under Trump's last term, it was decided to not let the plea deal go and investigate Epstein once again, which led to charges and an indictment.
"I've said, [FBI Deputy Director] Dan Bongino said, we've reviewed all the information, and the American public is going to get as much as we can release," he said. "He killed himself. Do you think, let's play out the logical conclusion of this? Do you think that myself, Bongino, and others would participate in hiding information about Epstein's grotesque activities, or do you think we would also participate in not prosecuting people we had evidence to prosecute people on?
"But the problem is there's been like 15 years of people coming in and creating fictions about this that doesn't exist," Patel continued. "I'm working my ass off along with the leadership at the Bureau and DOJ to get you what we're allowed to give you. And you're going to get the video of the cell. And you're going to see for yourself."
Patel's comments come days after Bongino told Fox News host Sean Hannity there is nothing in the Epstein file indicating he died by any other way than suicide.
Bongino updated Hannity on the investigation into the Epstein file as conspiracies continue to float that he was murdered in prison.
"The evidence we have in our files clearly indicates that it was, in fact, a suicide. We do have video. It's not the greatest video in the world. I don't want to set expectations on fire," Bongino said. "However, the video does show in that specific block, that he goes in, made a phone call; you'll see 12 hours of guards going in basically check on him, come back. You'll see nobody really comes out of that bay in that area than him. There's no one in there.
"There's nothing there in the file at all that indicates anything other than in fact a suicide," Bongino added.
The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.Original article source: FBI Director Kash Patel reveals in Joe Rogan interview that his home was targeted in swatting attempt
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US regulators greenlight contentious $8 bn Skydance-Paramount merger
US regulators on Thursday approved an $8 billion deal for Skydance to acquire Paramount Global amid tumult in the latter's news and late night programming on CBS, a leading American broadcaster. Clearance of the acquisition comes after Paramount settled US President Donald Trump's lawsuit over election coverage on CBS News' flagship show "60 Minutes," and a week after CBS canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The comedian had blasted the $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit as "a big fat bribe" to win approval of the merger with Skydance. Colbert's show is slated to end in 2026, and is staple of late-night US television that often mocks Trump. CBS said in a statement the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," and was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Paramount reached the settlement with Trump this month in a lawsuit the entertainment giant itself had described as meritless. The Republican president had sued Paramount for $20 billion last year, alleging that CBS News' "60 Minutes" news program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor. To promote the show, "60 Minutes" had shown a shortened clip or "tease" of Harris speaking on earlier network programming, and the full quote was aired on the Sunday evening broadcast. Trump objected to the use of the shorter clip. The FCC chair doubled down on the Trump administration's criticisms of CBS News. 'Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately and fairly,' Carr said in the statement. 'It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.' - Suspicious timing? - The FCC's approval of the merger "reeks of the worst form of corruption," Democratic Senators Edward Markey and Ben Ray Lujan said in a joint statement. "The timing speaks for itself," Markey and Lujan said. "Paramount settled with Trump on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Thursday." Markey last week sent a letter to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone demanding details about the decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," specifically whether anyone in the Trump administration asked for the show to be cancelled, according to a copy posted at his official website. Colbert said on Thursday the cancellation was not just the end of his show but the end of the decades-old "Late Show" franchise, which has been broadcast continuously on CBS since 1993 and was previously hosted by David Letterman. Trump celebrated the cancellation, writing on his Truth Social platform, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings." Trump's political opponents and other critics drew attention to the timing of the decision. "CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump -- a deal that looks like bribery," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on social media platform X. Colbert, once a regular on Comedy Central, made use of humor in his incisive political commentary and succeeded Letterman as the host of "The Late Show" in 2015. The late-night television landscape has long been dominated by satirical comedy shows that blend entertainment with news and political commentary. As a condition of approval, Skydance will put in place an "ombudsman" who will evaluate complaints of bias, according to Carr. "Skydance, which has no DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs in place today, has committed that it will not establish any such initiatives at the new company," Carr said in a release. gc/sla
Fox News
39 minutes ago
- Fox News
Former Congressman George Santos delivers 'glamorous' farewell before going to prison: 'The curtain falls'
Former Rep. George Santos posted a theatrical farewell on social media Thursday night, just hours before he was to begin serving a federal prison sentence for fraud and identity theft. "Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed," Santos wrote on X. "From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press." The former New York congressman is expected to report to federal custody Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence, just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. His guilty plea followed a sweeping investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. "This prosecution speaks to the truth that my office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption," said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham, who called the sentence "judgment day" for Santos and justice for his victims. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said Santos "traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle." Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos' family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. He also stole credit card information from donors, including "victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline" and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars which he spent on "designer clothing." During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York's 3rd District for the GOP. His résumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People's House. Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. His tweet concluded, "I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit." Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. The White House and Santos did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
CBS News
39 minutes ago
- CBS News
CIA Director Ratcliffe "strongly supports" Gabbard declassification of sensitive documents, agency says
CIA Director John Ratcliffe "strongly supports the public release" this week of highly sensitive documents by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, according to a CIA spokesperson, who said Ratcliffe "initiated" the declassification process after he took the helm at the agency this year. Gabbard's office publicly released a report drafted in 2017 by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee on Russian activity during the 2016 election, sparking concerns about risks to sensitive sources and methods. She said Wednesday that the document contained additional evidence that Obama administration officials "manufactured" a narrative about Russia's actions that was designed to undercut President Trump. Gabbard also declassified a swath of documents related to the 2016 election last Friday. "CIA Director Ratcliffe strongly supports the public release of HPSCI's report, which was the result of a process initiated by CIA and led by DNI Gabbard," the CIA spokesperson said, using an abbreviation for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "This effort reflects Director Ratcliffe's continued commitment to elevating the truth and bringing transparency to the American people and would not have been possible without his directive to return it to the committee," the spokesperson added. The House report, which the committee's Republican staff finalized in December 2017 but updated through 2020, was so highly classified that it was stored at CIA headquarters before Ratcliffe sent it back to the House panel and ultimately toward public release, CBS News has learned. The committee made it available to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, according to an ODNI official with knowledge of the declassification process. Gabbard would normally have been required to consult with the intelligence agencies that had contributed sensitive information to the report before declassifying it, but Mr. Trump — who made the decision to declassify the document with relatively few redactions — was not under the same obligations, the official said. The report was written in large part by then-committee staffer Kash Patel, now the FBI director, according to one current and one former official. It contained discussions about raw intelligence from a CIA source the agency had recruited in Russia, and questioned whether analysts had sufficiently taken into account the source's motivations, proximity to Putin or potential bias towards Mr. Trump. The CIA source's information helped inform the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, or ICA, which concluded in part that Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government aspired to help then-candidate Donald Trump's election chances by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. The U.S. exfiltrated a CIA asset from Russia in 2017, CBS News previously confirmed. That judgment within the ICA has vexed Mr. Trump for years and has been a key focus of Gabbard's recent declassifications. Gabbard has claimed the documents released by her office reveal a "treasonous conspiracy" by Obama-era officials to undermine Mr. Trump during his first term by alleging Russian efforts to help him win in 2016. Gabbard says she has forwarded the records to the Justice Department as part of a criminal referral. Obama's spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush called Gabbard's accusations "bizarre" and "ridiculous" earlier this week. The ICA's judgement about Russian actions in 2016 was also the focus of a recent CIA internal review under Ratcliffe. Released earlier this month, that review contained far fewer of the sensitive details included in the House Republicans' report and said the judgment on Putin's preference for Trump should have been issued with moderate rather than high confidence. But it said it did not dispute the "quality and credibility" of the information. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner, called the release of the House committee's report by Gabbard "desperate and irresponsible." He said it put highly sensitive sources at risk and could disincentivize potential spies from working for the U.S. government. "Tell me how you're going to recruit somebody to, in one of our adversarial nations, maybe work with us, if that information is carelessly thrown around," Warner said to reporters on Wednesday. Ratcliffe, who previously served on the House Intelligence Committee as a congressman from Texas, has said one of his primary objectives as CIA director would be to reinvigorate intelligence collection from human sources. Current and former national security officials have said intelligence provided by human sources, known as HUMINT, has dropped off in recent years, as surveillance technologies have become more sophisticated and ubiquitous. Human sources — especially those with proximity to world leaders in adversarial countries like Russia, China and North Korea — are especially prized and especially rare, given how risky, if not life-threatening, it can be for them to provide information to a foreign intelligence agency. Information provided by human sources typically remains classified for decades, often up to 75 years, according to government classification rules. At his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Ratcliffe said the recruitment of human spies by the CIA is "not where it needs to be." "I do want to spend time looking at that," he said. The CIA has recently released recruitment videos in multiple languages with the aim of enticing potential human sources in Iran, China and Russia to come He and James LaPorta contributed to this report.
