"FBI Director Furious Over Use of Government Jet to Visit Singer Girlfriend, Fires 27-Year Veteran Official"

Director Patel Faces Controversy Over Personal Use of Government Aircraft
Senior Official with 27 Years of Service Dismissed

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reportedly dismissed a senior official in charge of overseeing the agency's aviation operations after facing controversy for using a government aircraft for personal purposes.

FBI Director Kesh Patel took a photo with his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins. X

On November 2 (local time), Bloomberg Law, a legal news outlet under Bloomberg, reported that "the FBI has dismissed Steven Farmer, the official who supervised the agency’s fleet of aircraft."

According to the report, FBI Director Kashy Patel, 45, used a government jet on October 25 to attend a performance by his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, 26.

However, after this information was reported, Patel was reportedly furious, and an order was given for Farmer to either resign or be dismissed. Farmer, who had worked at the FBI for 27 years since 1998, was the head of the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG). This division is responsible for crisis response, including hostage rescue, explosives detection, and aircraft operations.

Farmer’s departure was made official on November 1. The FBI has already posted the new appointee on its website. Internal sources told the media, "It is difficult to understand why Farmer was held responsible."

The aircraft in question was tracked flying from State College, Pennsylvania, to Nashville, Tennessee. Director Patel was present when Wilkins sang the national anthem at a professional wrestling event in State College, and he reportedly posted a photo from the scene on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Additionally, the aircraft’s flight path was made public on the flight tracking website ‘Flight Aware.’ After the controversy arose, the information is now blocked.

FBI: "The Director is a 'required use traveler' for government aircraft...Travel expenses paid personally"

Ben Williamson, FBI spokesperson, stated on X (formerly Twitter) on October 30, "The reporting and criticism of Director Patel’s recent trip is malicious and foolish," adding, "Director Patel reimburses the government for personal travel expenses in accordance with regulations."

He further explained, "The FBI Director is classified as a 'required use traveler' for government aircraft under federal regulations," and "even for personal travel, he is required to use government aircraft." He added, "Travel on commercial aircraft is prohibited to maintain access to secure communications equipment in case of emergencies."

Director Patel also responded to media reports on X, calling them "false and foolish" and "malicious whining."

Director Patel, a loyalist to U.S. President Donald Trump, took office in February this year. Including Farmer, this is the third time the leader of the CIRG has been replaced.