Why Kash Patel, director of Indian-origin FBI, was removed as ATF chief
Indian origin FBI Director Kash Patel has been removed as the acting head of the Bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives (ATFs), along with his role as director of FBI as director of FBI. White House confirmed Army Secretary Daniel Driskol As their replacement.
Their expulsion, though it was confirmed by Justice DepartmentIt was not officially announced. According to sources quoted by the Associated Press, Patel was excluded a few days after taking oath of office in late February.
In fact, in late April, Patel was still listed on the agency’s website as the acting director of the ATF and painted in a press release. It was not till this week that senior ATF officials were informed about the change of leadership, increasing the eyebrows on the opaque handling of the case.
Army Secretary Daniel Driskal has now taken over as the acting head of ATF, while the traditional line between defense and domestic law enforcement continues in its current role.
The ATF handles major responsibilities such as violent crime, gun smuggling, arson and bomb blasts, and plays a technical role in tracing the firearms used in crimes.
Why was Kash Patel removed?
- Although it was not immediately clear why Patel was removed, an official of the Department of Justice said that his expulsion was not due to poor performance, and it was a standard interim system unless the Senate-confused appointments were made. Spokesman Harrison Fields said Patel’s time in ATF was temporary and is now “excellent” in the FBI.
- Patel was leading both FBI and ATF, two big and complex agencies. Reports suggest that dual responsibility may be unbearable.
- He says that Patel visited the ATF headquarters only once and was mostly absent from agency matters during his short tenure.
- His sudden appointment in February surprised the career employees in the ATF. Although he encouraged the agency to focus on violent gang crimes, internal sources told Reuters that their engagement stopped there.
