One of the individuals on Kash Patel’s list of “corrupt actors” from the “deep state” is taking drastic measures to protect themselves and their family, including relocating and keeping their new home purchase anonymous. The individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, is afraid that Patel might weaponize the FBI against them or use his platform to inspire others to take action.
Patel’s list, which appears as an appendix in his 2023 book “Government Gangsters,” names over 50 current or former US officials that he claims are “members of the Executive Branch deep state,” which he describes as a “dangerous threat to democracy.” Many of the individuals on the list are high-profile figures, including President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, while others are lesser-known civil servants who might not have the same security protections or legal resources available to them if the Trump administration decides to make them a target.
The existence of Patel’s list and the apparent green light from the commander-in-chief to seek retribution has left many afraid, with a range of emotions. Charles Kupperman, a former Trump national security adviser and Bolton ally, has said that Patel’s public list makes him unqualified to lead the FBI.
The anticipation of Patel’s confirmation has caused a flurry of preventative actions from the subset of lesser-known people, and others who aren’t named on the list but expect to be targeted by the new Justice Department for their public opposition to Trump. A nonprofit that led anti-Trump efforts has retained outside lawyers for the first time to help prepare for potential criminal investigations and Congressional oversight from Trump’s GOP allies.
Before Biden left office, he took the unprecedented step of granting preemptive pardons to some of the people Trump has repeatedly threatened to prosecute and imprison. However, many of the people involved in the now-defunct January 6 committee had received regular communications from friends and constituents urging them to take security precautions, with some even offering to pay for security details.
The former US official on Patel’s list said they have heard from friends at the FBI who have been updating their resumes after the election, in anticipation of mass purges based on who is perceived to be part of the “deep state.” One of the top concerns in this specific cohort is how to ensure personal security, given the high-profile examples of individuals violently targeting prominent political figures in the past few years.
Some of the people who fear Patel’s role at the FBI feel more resigned about what’s to come and are strategically keeping a low profile in hopes that they stay off his radar. “I have nowhere to go. There are many people who have nowhere to go,” said one source who was scrutinized by the Trump-era Justice Department during his first term.
