FBI under Kash Patel has become 'internally paralyzed by fear', new report reveals

Source: The Guardian

Mon 1 Dec 2025 13.38 EST
First published on Mon 1 Dec 2025 11.40 EST


The FBI director, Kash Patel, is “in over his head” and leading a “chronically under-performing” agency paralyzed by fear and plummeting morale, according to a scathing 115-page report compiled by a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI special agents and analysts. The leaked assessment, obtained by the New York Post and prepared for both congressional Senate and House judiciary committees, is based on confidential accounts from 24 FBI sources.

They accuse Patel of lacking the experience to lead the FBI and that managers will not take initiative without explicit direction for fear of being fired. Patel’s first six months have produced a “troubling picture” of an organization described by insiders as a “rudderless ship”, with two sources independently characterizing the director as being “in over his head”. One stated he “lacks the requisite knowledge or deep understanding of all the FBI’s unique and complex investigative and intelligence programs”.

One key accusation is that the FBI has become “internally paralyzed by fear”. Managers are “afraid of losing their jobs”, and “waiting on directions from the FBI director” rather than taking initiative, according to multiple sources.

That paralysis stems partly from before his nomination, when Patel publicly accused the FBI of being part of a “deep state” conspiracy against Trump and called for its radical overhaul. He advocated for shutting down the FBI’s Washington headquarters and dispersing employees across the country, and accused the bureau of political weaponization during investigations into Trump.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/01/fbi-kash-patel-leaked-report