The Leadership Conference Implores Senators to Reject Kash Patel’s Nomination

Leadership Conference Resources 02.13.25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McNeil, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance the nomination of Kash Patel to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):

“The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance Kash Patel’s nomination should alarm every person in this country. Justice hangs in the balance, and Kash Patel will intentionally knock the scales over completely. Instead of law enforcement, we will have cronyism and corruption. Instead of investigating bribery, we can expect harassment of anyone considered a political enemy. Instead of investigating hate crimes, we can expect perpetuation of unfounded conspiracy theories that drive hate and even violence. As a civil rights community, we know firsthand what it was like to have an ideological FBI that violated the rights of civil rights leaders and ordinary citizens. We are invested in the future of the FBI, especially given the bureau’s dark history of surveilling and infiltrating the civil rights movement and its leaders — most notably through its COINTELPRO operation that famously and shamefully targeted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., student activists, and people fighting poverty. Name-calling, driving fear, and targeting the victims of crimes because of their viewpoints is a dark part of our past, and we cannot return. But Kash Patel would be the general in an army of ideologues and has already jeopardized the integrity and independence of our nation’s top law enforcement agency.

“As more and more disturbing reports about Mr. Patel’s foreign ties, conflicts of interest, and alleged involvement in recent FBI firings pile up, senators should collectively demand a real investigation into his background, misleading statements, and possible perjury under oath. Under no circumstance should a person subject to a felony investigation be entrusted with a nearly 40,000 person law enforcement agency for a 10-year term.

“Given the immense authority the leader of the FBI possesses, we demand that any director has the necessary experience, temperament, and commitment to safeguarding everyone’s rights and safety. That is not Kash Patel. The Leadership Conference opposes Mr. Patel’s confirmation, and senators should make clear that nominees who lack independence and a commitment to the facts, the rule of law, and the independence of the agency, including safeguarding rights, are not qualified and will not be confirmed to this critical role.”

Resources

  • Nearly 60 national organizations committed to civil and human rights wrote to the Senate in opposition to Kash Patel’s confirmation. Read the letter here.
  • Following Patel’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Leadership Conference issued a memo detailing some of his troubling responses. Read it here.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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