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FBI Rejects Report Kash Patel Policies ‘Inflate’ Arrest Numbers

Critics say the bureau changed arrest rules and timed Most Wanted additions to boost Patel’s numbers, including 45,000 violent offenders last year, he told senators.

  • On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with lawmakers during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, defending his leadership amid allegations of internal misconduct and manipulated arrest statistics that have shadowed his tenure.
  • Current and former officials accuse Patel of inflating arrest counts by counting thousands of immigration-related detentions where the bureau merely assisted other agencies, a practice critics describe as "padding the stats."
  • "There has always been a bit of gaming of the 'Top 10,'" a former FBI official acknowledged, noting the bureau now adds fugitives to the Most Wanted Fugitives list shortly before their apprehension to boost capture metrics.
  • During the hearing, Patel traded personal accusations with Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, challenging the senator to an alcohol test while falsely claiming Van Hollen racked up a $7,000 bar tab.
  • Beyond the hearing, Patel faces a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and an internal "insider threat" investigation, as Democrats continue to question the bureau's leadership and integrity.
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Raw Story broke the news in United States on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
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