Kash Patel’s Bourbon Brand Is Creating New Problems for the FBI Director

Although he's been in the job for more than a year, it seems like Kash Patel still hasn't fully settled into the roles and responsibilities that come with being an FBI director.

A report in The Atlantic from April made it seem like Patel was regularly drinking on the job, and now, a new story from that same publication suggests that that is not the only way Patel has made alcohol part of his regular duties.

According to the latest report, Patel has a stash of branded bourbon that he hands out to guests during meetings. Here's what we know about the bourbon.

According to the reporting, Patel's bourbon is engraved with the words "Kash Patel, FBI Director." What's more, surrounding the image of the FBI shield "is a band of text featuring Patel’s director title and his favored spelling of his first name: Ka$h. An eagle holds the shield in its talons, along with the number 9, presumably a reference to Patel’s place in the history of FBI directors. In some cases, the 750-milliliter bottles bear Patel’s signature, with ‘#9’ there as well.”

The report also noted that Kash gives the personalized bourbon out to other FBI agents and civilians and that it's not unusual for him to travel with a supply of personalized bourbon both domestically and internationally.

Alcohol is traditionally prohibited at the FBI because of the nature of their work, but, as we've seen over Patel's tenure in the job, that prohibition appears to be changing.

A spokesperson for the FBI didn't deny the allegations, instead arguing that this was a tradition that predated Patel's tenure.

"The bottles in question are part of a tradition in the FBI that started well over a decade ago, long before Director Patel arrived," they stated. “Senior Bureau officials have long exchanged commemorative items in formal gift settings consistent with ethics rules."

The spokesperson continued, “Director Patel has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself."

Doing its due diligence, The Atlantic then checked with former FBI officials to determine whether it was true that this alcohol was something of a tradition.

“When I reached a former longtime senior FBI official to ask whether he’d ever seen personally branded liquor bottles distributed by a previous FBI director, he burst out laughing," the report states.

Patel has been an undeniably controversial presence at the FBI since he was first hired, and he has pushed back hard on stories that suggest he is somehow failing at his job.

While this reporting speaks to Patel's unique interpretation of his duties, it's unclear whether it will lead to more serious consequences.

Trump has stood behind Patel thus far, and ultimately, that's the only thing that matters for his job security.

Patel was a Trump loyalist long before he was the FBI director.