President Donald Trump has nominated Kashyap “Kash” Patel, a frequent and harsh critic of the FBI, to serve as the bureau’s next director. If confirmed, Patel will be tasked with restoring the FBI’s “credibility” in the public eye after years of accusations that some investigations have been politically motivated to target conservatives.
Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker, who spent more than 12 years with the bureau, believes that the next director will be faced with several challenges on day one, including bringing in new leadership, reforming the internal culture, and prioritizing accountability and consequences.
Parker identified five areas where a new director can make an impact:
1. Appoint solid leaders on the executive team and throughout the entire FBI, prioritizing integrity and strict adherence to the Constitution.
2. Trim the administrative headquarters in Washington, D.C. and return the power to select and investigate cases to the field. The bureau needs a shift in its culture to focus solely on serving the American people.
3. Ensure accountability and consequences for inappropriate actions and inadequate job performance. Despite allegations of weaponized investigations, dedicated agents “who are holding the line” deserve support.
4. Raise hiring standards to the highest in FBI history and consider increasing congressional oversight and the firing of “corrupt actors” in the FBI.
5. Cut wasteful spending, and consider sending agents and staff back to the field to work investigations.
Additionally, Parker believes that the new director should visit FBI field offices around the country to understand rank-and-file agents’ unique needs and concerns.
Kash Patel, in his book “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,” outlined some of his critiques of alleged corruption within the permanent government bureaucracy and called for a committee to take the FBI and Justice Department to task for alleged abuses of power against conservatives.
