Kashyap Pramod Patel was sworn in as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday. It was a historical moment in his life.
The oath ceremony of Patel took place in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where Patel put his hand on the Bhagavad Gita. Further highlighting his cultural heritage and vowing to protect Americans against national security threats.
Confirmation of Patel followed a 51-49 vote in the Republican-led Senate. In this, two moderate Republicans, Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, crossed their party lines to join Democrats in voting against the nomination of Patel.
Patel winning and getting to the pinnacle of the FBI is a milestone in his career despite the opposition.
Early Life and Career
The birth date and place of Kash Patel is February 25, 1980, in New York. He was brought up by Gujarati immigrant parents who originated from East Africa.
Patel pursued a legal career, working at first as a federal defender and then as a counterterrorism prosecutor for the Department of Justice. His work for the House Intelligence Committee in Trump’s first term, when he co-authored a memo blasting the FBI investigation of Russian election meddling in 2016.
He went on to serve the Trump administration as a national security expert and later as chief of staff to the Defense Secretary. Kash has championed fundamental FBI and Justice Department reforms during his career, up to a “comprehensive housecleaning” of the agencies.
Patel is an ardent follower of Lord Shiva.
Patel is well-known for his deep religious devotion in addition to his professional achievements. According to his maternal uncle, Patel has a designated temple area in his house in Washington, DC.
The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva, Hanuman, and Ganesh. The FBI director is very close to his Hindu background. Patel and his family maintain close ties to their cultural background.
Patel as the FBI Director marks a turning point in his career as well as the larger representation of Indian-Americans in high-ranking roles within the US government.