FBI circulates classified "Patel Report" on the bureau's past failures

Left · 2The FBI has distributed a classified report, dubbed the "Patel Report," to its workforce, detailing instances "where this institution fell short," according to an internal message obtained on Friday 2 October. 1 2 Left · 1An internal memo obtained by MS NOW, as reported by Raw Story, describes the report as an effort to "promote fierce organizational accountability and rebuilding public trust" by revisiting "different chapters" in the bureau's past. 2 Left · 2The specific events covered have not been disclosed. Three current and former FBI officials told MS NOW they expect it to touch on politically charged areas for President Trump, including the original Russia investigation and the special counsel probes into classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 2 1

Left · 2A staff memo signed by co-deputy directors Christopher Raia and Andrew Bailey says "The Patel Report looks backward because accountability demands it," and calls the report "the closing of one chapter in our history and the beginning of another complete with a brighter future ahead." 1 2 Left · 2Bailey announced his resignation earlier in the week, and his last day was the day the report was distributed. 2 1 Left · 1The memo adds: "We can recognize failures instead of protecting them. We can hold people accountable." The FBI declined to comment, and it is unclear whether the report makes formal recommendations or mandates remedies. 1

Left · 1Sources quoted by MS NOW were unclear on who chose the episodes, who drafted and vetted the findings, what standard of proof was used, and whether the DOJ inspector general or the bureau's career attorneys could challenge its conclusions. They worry it is about shaping the bureau's history to suit the president's narrative, and that its classification makes it harder to contest. 2 Left · 2Patel has long criticised his predecessors and sought to remove agents he says politicised the bureau, while critics say he has politicised it himself. Despite saying at his confirmation hearing that he would not look "backward," he has encouraged inquiries into former senior officials and overseen waves of firings, including staff tied to past Trump investigations and agents photographed kneeling at a 2020 protest. 1 2 Left · 1Raw Story also notes an Atlantic report alleging Patel frequently drank on the job and feared being fired; Patel denied it and sued the publication. 2