FBI’s Kash Patel Faces Criticism for Girlfriend Alexis Wilkins’ SWAT Protection

FBI Director Kash Patel is facing criticism for using SWAT team members as security for his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.

There is an FBI security detail in place to protect the country singer, 27, from potential threats, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) reported, citing two people “with direct knowledge” of the situation.

The detail — which is made up of elite agents who are typically assigned to Nashville’s FBI field office, per the outlet — has sparked concern that the unusual assignment may delay law enforcement response to emergency situations.

The atypical use of agents has also been slammed as an abuse of power and misuse of resources.

The New York Times reported that resources have been diverted from the SWAT team to Wilkins several times in recent months. The use of agents with specialized and high-risk duties in this way is highly unusual, the outlet reported, citing both current and former FBI officials.

Typically, partners of high-ranking FBI officials only receive security protection during joint travels. The wife of former FBI Director Christopher Wray received protection when the couple traveled together, per MS NOW.

The same is true for Wilkins’ travels with Patel, 45, now, according to the Times.

The SWAT agents protecting Wilkins, who spends time in Nashville for work, are separate from this security protection, and may be slower — or altogether unable — to respond to crisis situations that develop in the Nashville area, MS NOW reported, citing anonymous sources. 

Former FBI agent Christopher O’Leary, now a law enforcement contributor at MS NOW, reacted to the detail assigned to Wilkins, saying, “There is no legitimate justification.”

“This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,” he continued, highlighting that Wilkins “is not his spouse” and “does not live in the same house or even the same city.” (The couple, who met in Nashville, do not live together — Patel’s legal residence is in Las Vegas, though he travels to Washington, D.C. often for work, according to MS NOW.)

O’Leary, who oversaw a team that was assigned high-risk missions during his time at the FBI, offered further criticism of Patel while speaking with the Times.

“His abusive and excessive use of the GV Jet [a government-owned plane] for his personal adventures and the assignment of SWAT-qualified special agents to guard his girlfriend are indicative of his lack of leadership experience, judgment and humility,” said the former FBI agent.

The FBI commented on Wilkins’ security protections in a statement obtained by MS NOW.

“Ms. Wilkins is receiving a protective detail because she has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel, whom she has been dating for three years,” the agency said. “Out of respect for her safety, we will not be providing additional details.”

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Criticism of Wilkins’ security detail comes after her FBI director boyfriend came under scrutiny for his use of a government-owned plane to fly to see the country singer — despite previously criticizing predecessor Wray’s use of private jets.

In October, Patel reportedly used a $60 million jet owned by the FBI to travel to State College, Pa., where Wilkins performed the national anthem at a wrestling event at Penn State University’s Bryce Jordan Center, according to The Daily Beast and The New Republic.

He has also used a government jet for other recreational travel, including a golf trip to Scotland over the summer, according to the Times.

Patel responded to what he described as “baseless rumors or the noise from uninformed internet anarchists and the fake news,” in a X post on Nov. 2, though he did not specifically address his private jet usage.

In the same post, he also defended Wilkins, whom he said was the subject of “disgustingly baseless attacks,” as a “true patriot and the woman I’m proud to call my partner in life.”