FBI Chief Accused of Forcing Out Whistleblower After Using £47m Jet to Visit Girlfriend

FBI Director Kash Patel is facing mounting criticism after reportedly forcing out a senior official who exposed his alleged use of a taxpayer-funded jet to visit his girlfriend, 26-year-old country music artist Alexis Wilkins.

According to multiple sources, Steven Palmer, a 27-year veteran who oversaw the bureau's aviation and crisis response unit, was told to resign or be fired shortly after Patel grew enraged over public attention to his personal travel.

Palmer's removal came days after flight logs and social media posts suggested the FBI's £47 million ($60 million) aircraft had been used for what critics called a 'romantic detour.'

'Angry at the Headlines'

Three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Patel became furious when flight data from publicly available tracking services revealed that an FBI jet had flown from Washington, DC, to State College, Pennsylvania, where Wilkins sang the US national anthem at a wrestling event.

Patel himself fuelled the speculation by posting photos on X (formerly Twitter) of the pair together at the event. The sources said he blamed Palmer for the leaks and ordered his immediate departure, even though Patel's travel details could easily be traced online.

Palmer was officially ousted on Friday, making him the third head of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) to be dismissed under Patel's short tenure. The unit oversees the bureau's elite aviation, hostage rescue and bomb detection teams.

The FBI's leadership page was quickly updated to show Devin Kowalski, formerly special agent in charge of the San Juan branch, as the new head of CIRG.

Jet Trip Raises Questions

FBI directors are required to use official aircraft for both business and personal travel for security reasons. However, federal rules demand reimbursement for non-official trips, typically equivalent to the cost of a commercial ticket.

A standard flight between State College and Nashville, where Wilkins lives, costs about $239 (£187), while the operational cost of a government jet can reach tens of thousands of dollars per trip.

Critics said the optics were troubling, particularly given Patel's past remarks condemning his predecessors for misusing agency aircraft. The incident comes amid a partial US government shutdown, prompting widespread outrage over what some describe as "tone-deaf" behaviour from the country's top law enforcement officer.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the reports, and Palmer has not spoken publicly.

'Disingenuous and Dumb'

Patel has attempted to downplay the backlash, reposting a message from his spokesman, Ben Williamson, on 30 October describing the criticism as 'disingenuous and dumb' and 'bad-faith whining.'

Williamson insisted that Patel complies with reimbursement rules and has actually reduced the cost of his travel by using government airfields more frequently than previous FBI directors.

However, insiders said the decision to remove Palmer appeared at least partly motivated by Patel's anger over the negative press cycle, further fuelling concerns of retaliation within the bureau.

A Culture of Retaliation?

Patel's leadership has already been marked by turbulence. Palmer's two predecessors were also dismissed earlier this year.

Brian Driscoll, who previously led CIRG, has since filed a lawsuit claiming he was forced out for showing 'insufficient loyalty' to the administration. Wes Wheeler, another former chief, resigned in March under similar circumstances.

Palmer, who joined the FBI in 1998, rose through the ranks to supervise major field operations before taking charge of CIRG's aviation programme. His colleagues said he was a respected figure who had coordinated responses to high-risk events, including the Super Bowl and the Olympics.

Sources inside the bureau told reporters they are concerned the next director could face political pressure to use FBI resources, including its fleet of aircraft, for "non-essential" trips.

Patel Silent as Pressure Builds

As of this weekend, Patel has not personally addressed the controversy. The FBI maintains that his travel 'complies with federal guidelines,' though it has refused to clarify whether he reimbursed the cost of his alleged personal journey.

For now, critics argue the scandal raises deeper questions about power, privilege and retaliation inside one of America's most powerful institutions — and whether those tasked with enforcing accountability can still be held to it themselves.