Former FBI director under Donald Trump criticized a television news network, referring to it as an “a** clown factory” in an online outburst. Kash Patel, a former podcaster now in charge of the FBI for Trump, objected to a story on MSNBC about an agent who was fired for refusing to assist in organizing a public display of arresting former director James Comey.
The FBI is pursuing Comey at Trump’s request, alleging that he misled Congress. Reports indicate that FBI leadership wanted to make a flashy arrest of Trump’s adversary. They requested “large, beefy” agents outfitted in full gear, including FBI-branded Kevlar vests, for the arrest.
A supervisory special agent, Chris Ray, declined the request to assemble agents meeting the specified criteria, deeming it inappropriate for a white-collar defendant like Comey. Consequently, he was reportedly suspended for insubordination. MSNBC legal analyst Barb McQuade highlighted that the Department of Justice policy prohibits “perp walks,” which involve showcasing arrestees before cameras.
Kash Patel further fueled the controversy by affirming the story of Agent Ray’s removal in a sensational and inaccurate social media post. He criticized MSNBC for spreading misinformation and urged compliance with the FBI’s chain of command. “Perp walks” typically involve pre-planned media events where detainees in police custody are led, often in restraints, to a police station or courthouse.
Contrary to Patel’s claims, only one of the individuals he mentioned, Peter Navarro, was arrested but not paraded in a “perp walk.” Navarro was apprehended at an airport for defying a subpoena, and there is no public footage of the arrest. He was later convicted and sentenced to jail.
Roger Stone and Steve Bannon, also mentioned by Patel, had different legal proceedings. Stone was not “perp walked,” although footage exists of FBI agents arriving at his residence with a search warrant. Bannon, on the other hand, was accused of defrauding donors and was eventually pardoned by Trump.
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