FBI Director Kash Patel traveled to Italy this week aboard a government aircraft, with plans that reportedly include attending Winter Olympics events, prompting renewed scrutiny over his use of official planes.
According to CBS News, “Public flight data reviewed by CBS News showed the FBI director took off on a government plane Thursday morning for an Air Force base in Italy, after a brief flight from Manassas, Virginia, to Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland, Wednesday.
Sources also confirmed to CBS News that Patel was en route to Milan, where he is planning to watch the Men’s USA Olympic hockey team compete in the medal rounds.” The report quickly drew attention, raising questions about whether the trip was official business or personal travel funded by taxpayers.
In response, the FBI strongly rejected the suggestion that the trip was improper. After declining direct comment to CBS, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson addressed the matter on X, stating, “[I]t’s not a personal trip. Director Patel is on a trip that was planned months ago. It includes: partner meetings with Italian law enforcement and security officials (they invited the Director last July), meeting with Ambassador Fertitta (as a follow up to our law enforcement roundtable he hosted in January), meetings with Legat staff, and more.”
The bureau maintains that Patel’s visit includes scheduled meetings with Italian security officials, U.S. diplomatic representatives, and FBI legal attaché personnel stationed abroad. Officials say the invitation from Italian authorities dates back to last summer, framing the travel as part of ongoing international law enforcement cooperation.
Still, the timing of the trip has fueled criticism, particularly because it reportedly overlaps with Olympic events Patel intends to attend. The controversy also follows earlier allegations that Patel used FBI aircraft for personal reasons. Among those claims were reports that he traveled on a bureau plane to attend a concert by his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins.
Those allegations have not resulted in formal findings of wrongdoing, but they have contributed to broader concerns about his use of government resources. Patel, who previously served as an intelligence staffer for House Republicans before becoming a close ally of President Donald Trump, has faced heightened scrutiny since taking the helm of the FBI.
In recent months, he has drawn bipartisan criticism over claims that he has not been fully forthcoming with Congress regarding materials connected to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for greater transparency, arguing that public trust in federal law enforcement depends on clear and consistent disclosure.
The FBI continues to insist that Patel’s Italy trip is official in nature, even as questions linger about optics and the blending of diplomatic duties with attendance at a high-profile international sporting event.
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