Chicago – February 20, 2025
Washington, D.C. — The Senate voted 51-49 on Thursday to confirm Kash Patel as the new director of the FBI.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, supported Patel’s confirmation, while moderate Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine voted against him. Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 51-47 to move forward with the final vote.
Patel’s confirmation process was not easy. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination earlier this month in a 12-10 vote, but Democrats tried to delay the final decision.
Patel is known for strongly opposing investigations into former President Donald Trump. He also played a key role in Trump’s claims about the 2020 election. During his confirmation hearing, Patel promised not to punish FBI agents involved in the investigation of Trump’s handling of classified documents or other politically sensitive cases.
His confirmation comes as the FBI faces scrutiny over concerns about political bias and possible retaliation within the agency.
