FBI Director Kash Patel Accuses FBI of Lying to Spy on Trump Using FISA Warrants

FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly accused the FBI of fabricating evidence to secure Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants used to spy on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, his campaign, and top officials. In a recent interview on Fox News' "Hang Out with Sean Hannity," Patel detailed how the FBI allegedly relied on false, unverified information—originating from overseas sources paid by a political party—to deceive the secret FISA court.

Patel, who served on the National Security Council during Trump's first term and was a key figure behind the 2018 "Nunes Memo," described spending two years investigating what he calls a coordinated effort to weaponize the intelligence community against Trump. He said the FBI submitted these fraudulent warrants to monitor Trump and his team, including himself, during and after the 2016 election.

According to Patel, the FISA court later found these warrants illegal and rescinded them in 2018 after a federal investigation exposed the FBI’s failure to provide exculpatory evidence and reliance on dubious claims linked to the Steele dossier. He called this misconduct unprecedented in American history, likening it to a plot "Hollywood couldn't come up with."

Patel also revealed the discovery of so-called "burn bags" at FBI headquarters—secure containers for destroying classified documents—tying them to the Russia investigation and suggesting attempts to cover up wrongdoing. He warned that this pattern of weaponizing federal agencies did not end with Trump's presidency but continued and even intensified under the Biden administration.

The controversy unfolds amid renewed scrutiny of Section 702 of FISA, which allows surveillance of foreign targets but can incidentally collect Americans’ communications—a provision Trump opposed. Patel's allegations add fuel to ongoing debates about government overreach, politicization of law enforcement, and the integrity of intelligence operations.

As Patel vows to restore "accountability and transparency" to the FBI, his claims underscore the urgent need for thorough, independent investigations into the misuse of surveillance powers and the political manipulation of federal agencies. This is not just a scandal from the past; it signals continuing threats to democratic norms and civil liberties today.