Part 10/15:
Lawmakers expressed concern over the FBI’s internal morale, staffing policies, and the alleged politicization of personnel decisions. Several questioned whether the agency’s leadership, under Patel, maintained impartiality or had succumbed to bias. Allegations of firing or sidelining agents based on political leanings, as well as suppression of investigations into politically sensitive cases, surfaced repeatedly.
Patel stressed that personnel decisions were conducted based on performance and lawfulness, reaffirming the FBI’s commitment to integrity. Despite accusations of partisan bias, Patel highlighted increases in arrests, seizures of drugs and firearms, and successful operations against national security threats as evidence of effective leadership.