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FBI Ousts Aviation Chief as Patel Defends Use of Bureau Jet to Attend Girlfriend’s Event

The FBI says Patel’s trip followed required‑use rules with advance reimbursement during a government shutdown.

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 21: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi swears in the new Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel as his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins holds the Bhagavad Gita in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on February 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 21: New Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel speaks after he was sworn in during a ceremony in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on February 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Patel was confirmed by the Senate 51-49, with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) the only Republicans voting to oppose him. Patel has been a hard-line critic of the FBI, the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Steven Palmer, the 27‑year veteran who oversaw the FBI’s aviation and Critical Incident Response Group, was removed from his role, according to Bloomberg Law and other outlets.
  • Public flight logs show DOJ‑registered jet N708JH flew to State College, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 25 and later to Nashville in a pattern that aligns with Alexis Wilkins’ performance, though no passenger list has been released.
  • Online tracking for N708JH has since been blocked on FlightAware at the owner/operator’s request, leaving gaps in public visibility of the aircraft’s movements.
  • FBI officials say the director is a required‑use traveler for security, including on personal trips, and that Patel reimburses the government in advance consistent with policy.
  • Patel posted a forceful defense of Wilkins and denounced the coverage as baseless, while critics questioned the optics during the shutdown after podcaster and former agent Kyle Seraphin highlighted the flight data.