FBI Director Kash Patel praised law enforcement's quick action and coordinated efforts that prompted the father of the suspected assassin of conservative leader Charlie Kirk to turn his own son in last week.
"In partnership and promise to working with the public to bring this fugitive to justice, we released a new, never-before-seen video of the suspect; we also released new enhanced photos of the suspect," Patel said in his opening statement before a Senate hearing Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill.
"A few hours later, that suspect was in custody pursuant to the interrogation of the suspect's own father, who stated, 'When I saw that video that you released, I recognized it was my son, and I confronted him' – and he was handed over to lawful law enforcement authorities.
"That is the FBI working with the public, as I promised, being transparent and provided critical information along the way in the manhunt for the suspect or suspects involved in Charlie's assassination."
Patel reported the FBI received more than 11,000 tips and 16,000 digital submissions in the first day alone. Patel praised the work of FBI field teams, laboratory technicians in Quantico, and state and local partners in Utah.
Patel also thanked President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and state officials for supporting the investigation.
"We cannot do our job without the American public," he said, stressing transparency and accountability as central to his leadership.
The congressional hearing was dominated by questions about the assassi and the recent firings of senior FBI officials.
The appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee represents the first oversight hearing of Patel's young but tumultuous tenure and provides a high-stakes platform for him to try to reassure skeptical Democrats that he is the right person for the job at a time of internal upheaval and mounting concerns about political violence inside the United States.
Patel rattled off a series of what he said were accomplishments of his first months on the job, including his efforts to fight violent crime and protect children.
Nodding to criticism from Democrats, he closed his remarks by saying: "If you want to criticize my 16 years of service, please bring it on."
The FBI last month fired five agents and senior officials.
Three of those officials sued last week in a federal complaint. One of the officials helped oversee investigations into the Jan. 6 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, and another clashed with Justice Department leadership while serving as acting director in the early days of the Trump's administration. The FBI has declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee's Republican chairman, signaled his support for Patel at the outset of the hearing, praising the director for having "begun the important work of returning the FBI to its law enforcement mission."
"It's well understood that your predecessor left you an FBI infected with politics," Grassley said.
Patel has repeatedly said his predecessors at the FBI and Justice Department who investigated and prosecuted Trump were the ones who weaponized the institutions.
Kirk's alleged assassin is due to make his first court appearance in Utah. It is unclear whether he has an attorney, and his family has declined to comment. Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox noted the suspect is not cooperating with investigators after turning himself in.
Information from The Associated Press was used to compile this report.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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