Emails Show Kash Patel Omitted 2-Day Hawaii Return and USS Arizona VIP Snorkel
Updated
Updated · el-balad.com · May 14
Emails Show Kash Patel Omitted 2-Day Hawaii Return and USS Arizona VIP Snorkel
15 articles · Updated · el-balad.com · May 14
Government emails show Kash Patel’s FBI travel included an undisclosed VIP snorkel around the USS Arizona and a separate two-day return to Hawaii after his initial stopover.
The FBI had said the trip was not a vacation, but it did not disclose either detail; a spokesman did not answer questions about the snorkeling session.
Military officials coordinated the outing at Pearl Harbor, and the FBI said regional commanders hosted Patel at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam as they commonly do for U.S. officials on official travel.
More than 900 sailors and Marines are entombed in the USS Arizona, making the memorial’s use part of the backlash as critics say Patel is again mixing official duties with personal-style perks.
The emails do not point to a procedural penalty, but they deepen scrutiny of Patel’s conduct and how the bureau described his travel.
When does a somber tour of a war grave become an exclusive perk for the powerful?
How do new policies on historical narratives affect VIP access to America's most sacred national sites?