- FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly participated in a private “VIP snorkel” session over the USS Arizona in Hawaii last summer, a sunken battleship and military cemetery where over 900 service members are entombed from the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack.
- The excursion, which was coordinated by the military but omitted from official FBI news releases, took place at a site where snorkelling and diving are generally prohibited, with former government officials stating no FBI director has engaged in such an activity since at least 1993.
- The incident has drawn criticism regarding Patel’s use of government resources and the FBI plane for travel that appears to mix official duties with leisure, with the jet reportedly staying in Hawaii for two nights before flying to his hometown.
- Former FBI Director James Comey expressed disbelief at the activity, emphasising the responsibility of the director to represent the agency, while a veteran described the use of the hallowed site by political figures as inappropriate.
- This latest controversy adds to a series of others during Patel’s tenure, including gifting illegal replica pistols in New Zealand, alleged misuse of the FBI plane for personal travel, and recent clashes with lawmakers over his conduct and alcohol consumption.
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