FBI Chief Kash Patel Under Scrutiny Over Armoured BMWs, Scrapped $115-Million Jet Plan

FBI Director Kash Patel has come under scrutiny and criticism after media reports revealed that the agency bought armoured BMW X5 SUVs for his transport. This marks a departure from the Chevrolet Suburbans traditionally used by FBI leadership. The decision prompted questions about cost, operational necessity and the use of taxpayer funds.

The FBI confirmed that it bought an unspecified number of BMW X5 vehicles for Patel.

While armoured BMWs are used by the US government to transport State Department officials and diplomats, such vehicles are more commonly deployed in high-risk overseas settings rather than for domestic travel.

According to a report by MS NOW, Patel defended the purchase, saying that the BMWs would allow him to move while appearing “less conspicuous.”

FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said the BMW X5s were part of a routine fleet replacement programme rather than a special request. “Government agencies, including the FBI, routinely evaluate, replace and update vehicle fleets based on usage, security needs or budgetary decisions,” Williamson said.

He added that the BMWs were the most cost-effective option among those considered. Williamson, though, declined to release documentation detailing the costs or to provide evidence supporting the claim that the vehicles were cheaper than alternative options.

However, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have launched an investigation into Patel’s use of government resources.

The purchase drew criticism from Stacey Young, a former Justice Department official and the founder of Justice Connection, who described the BMW request as “an embarrassment”. Young was responding to a complaint outlined in a recent report based on anonymous accounts from more than 20 current and former FBI and law enforcement personnel.

According to that report, after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Patel allegedly refused to disembark his FBI jet upon landing in Utah until agents brought him a medium-sized FBI raid jacket to wear in front of cameras.

Commenting on the same, Young told MS NOW, “He needs a field jacket that fits just right, a ‘Punisher’-inspired challenge coin and a new fleet of foreign cars to drive around in.”

The disclosure surrounding the BMW vehicles has emerged alongside reports of another request that failed to materialise. MS NOW, citing four people familiar with the matter, said that earlier this year, Patel pressed the FBI to acquire a new and more modern aircraft for his use. That proposal was later abandoned after projected costs were estimated at between $90 million and $115 million.

The latest revelations add to earlier criticism over Patel’s use of taxpayer-funded resources. He has previously faced backlash for using the FBI’s private jet to visit his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, and for allegedly assigning her an FBI security detail.

Patel has defended those actions, saying he was complying with FBI policy that prevents directors from flying commercially and insisting that he was “entitled to a private life.”