In Reply to: Iran are still undefeated where it counts posted by mh on June 16, 2026 at 11:06:22
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the House Judiciary Committee’s ranking member, sent a letter to Patel on Tuesday stating the committee has received “troubling reports” of FBI employees closest to Patel receiving bonuses.
Accusing Patel of operating a “personal slush fund” for “loyalist MAGA henchmen,” Raskin said Patel has used the FBI’s fund for bonuses to make approximately $1 million in payments to members of the FBI chief’s “Director’s Advisory Team,” as well as agents on Patel’s security detail.
FBI agents have received as much as $8,000 per pay period on top of their normal salaries, Raskin alleges, which have been paid out for five pay periods so far, amounting up to some $40,000 per person in extra payments.
Raskin accused Patel of using the payments to circumvent salary caps for federal employees and pay people more than is allowed under federal law, alleging that so much money has been taken out of the FBI’s bonuses fund that some checks have bounced as a result.
The Democrat asked Patel to provide documentation of any payments and communications regarding the payments—though since Democrats are in the minority on the House Judiciary Committee, he can’t subpoena Patel for those documents without Republicans’ approval.
The FBI has not yet responded to a request for comment.