FBI Director Kash Patel was photographed socialising with Sigal Chattah at a New York wedding on 26 September, weeks after a federal appeals court ruled her service as Nevada's acting US attorney unlawful, renewing questions over his judgement.
A Wedding Photo Draws Attention
Chattah shared the image on X on 27 September, posing alongside the bride, former Trump lawyer Alina Habba, Habba's new husband, Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon, Patel and former FBI informant Ali Abdelaziz.
Habba married Mildon at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria the previous day, drawing guests including Attorney General Todd Blanche, boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Nelly.
The photo drew attention because of who stood in it.
Courts Twice Rejected Her Authority
The renewed attention follows two court rulings. On 17 August, the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Chattah could not lawfully serve as Nevada's acting US attorney through the succession mechanism the Trump administration used.
The three-judge panel upheld a September 2025 decision by Judge David Campbell, which found that Chattah could not lawfully serve as acting US attorney after her interim term expired.
Nevada's two Democratic senators had opposed Chattah for months, with both saying they would block her from any permanent posting.
The ruling stripped Chattah of acting US attorney powers and disqualified her from overseeing three criminal prosecutions, though she can remain as first assistant. The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to intervene on 9 September. Habba's own appointment as acting US attorney for New Jersey was invalidated on similar grounds, and she resigned in December.
The Online Claim She Never Faced
The photo also revived an unsupported online allegation that Chattah helped an Israeli official leave the country after his arrest.
Tom Alexandrovich, a cybersecurity official at Israel's National Cyber Directorate, was one of eight men arrested in an August 2025 Las Vegas sting targeting suspected child sex predators, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said. He was charged with luring a child with a computer for a sex act, posted $10,000 (£7,400) bail and returned to Israel two days later.
Public records reviewed do not show that Chattah arranged his departure. As acting US attorney, she said her office would not bring federal charges, leaving the case to state prosecutors.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the Israeli received no special treatment, and under Nevada law Alexandrovich could post bond before seeing a judge. He has since pleaded not guilty, and a judge refused to dismiss the indictment.
Questions Over Who Patel Is Seen With
For critics, the concern is not the wedding but the company. Patel was also pictured beside Abdelaziz, a mixed martial arts manager whom the FBI stopped using as an informant in 2008 after suspecting he was a double agent, marking at least the second time the two have appeared together. Critics have questioned whether the FBI director shows poor judgement about who he is seen with.
Attending the wedding itself does not establish wrongdoing. Critics have also questioned Patel's repeated appearances alongside people whose conduct or official authority has drawn scrutiny from the FBI or courts.
