J. Edgar Hoover’s greatest reform at the FBI was his embrace of fingerprinting, giving out souvenir cards with his name in the 1930s. His successors were more discreet, mindful of the cult of personality. Then came Kash Patel, current FBI director under President Trump, who apparently never met a piece of swag he didn’t like. His co-founded website still sells beanies ($35), T-shirts ($35), orange camo hoodies ($65), trucker caps ($25), “government gangsters” playing cards (on sale for $10), and a Fight With Kash Punisher scarf ($25). But liquor? That he gives away for free.
Last month, The Atlantic reported FBI personnel were alarmed by what they called erratic behavior and excessive drinking by Patel - allegations he denies and has sued over. Now, sources say it’s not unusual for Patel to travel with personalized branded bourbon. The bottles are Woodford Reserve, engraved with “Kash Patel FBI Director,” an FBI shield, his title, and his preferred spelling: Ka$h. An eagle holds the shield with the number 9 - presumably his place in FBI director history. Some 750-milliliter bottles bear his signature and “#9.” One popped up on an online auction site after the story broke; The Atlantic bought it from an anonymous seller who said it was a gift from Patel at a Las Vegas event.
Eight people - including current and former FBI and DOJ employees, most speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal - say Patel has given these bottles to FBI staff and civilians during official business, including at least one FBI event. His team transported the whiskey using a DOJ plane, including a trip to Milan during the Olympics in February, where one bottle was left in a locker room. On the same trip, Patel was filmed drinking beer with the gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team - behavior officials say didn’t sit well with the teetotaling president. Patel defended himself, saying he was just celebrating with his “friends.”
The FBI didn’t dispute the whiskey gifts. A spokesperson called them part of a tradition starting “well over a decade ago” and said Patel follows ethical guidelines, paying for personal gifts himself. But they declined to clarify which rules, when bottles were engraved, or if any were reimbursed. They also wouldn’t provide images of past directors’ bottles. When asked, a former longtime senior FBI official burst out laughing.
Current and former employees say this is unheard of. The FBI traditionally has zero tolerance for unauthorized alcohol use on or off duty. “It is so weird and uncomfortable,” one former agent said. Another described the bottles as “demoralizing,” suggesting double standards. Some fear retribution if they don’t accept enthusiastically - like being polygraphed for loyalty.
In March, Patel brought at least one case of bourbon to a training seminar at Quantico, where UFC athletes taught MMA to aspiring agents. When a bottle went missing, Patel allegedly “lost his mind,” threatening to polygraph and prosecute staff. Retired agent Kurt Siuzdak, who helps whistleblowers, said multiple agents contacted him: “It turned into a shitshow.” Other attorneys got similar calls. Siuzdak noted agents have a duty to report wrongdoing but face career risk if they do. “Street agents know integrity is the most important thing for their jobs,” he said. “Without integrity, you can’t testify.” His advice: “Run from him.”
Woodford Reserve said they don’t know who ordered the bottles; engravings happen after purchase. Patel’s bourbon affection is long-standing - during the first Trump administration, he kept a barrel at the National Security Council to celebrate hostage rescues. His merch enthusiasm is also well documented: even before confirmation, he sent Ka$h-branded boxes with Punisher-themed items, and previously sold “Justice for All” #J6PC tees for January 6 defendants.
In a wrongful-termination lawsuit, former Assistant Director Steven Jensen described Patel presenting him with a challenge coin inscribed “Director” and “Ka$h Patel,” and noticing whiskey bottles and cigars on his desk. Patel said he used to produce his own cigar brand. Jensen, who oversaw parts of the January 6 investigation, was fired in August. His lawyer said, “Line agents are spending nights and weekends on warrants and arrests, yet the FBI Director apparently has time to design logos, go to hockey games, sit for multi-hour podcast interviews.”
In July, Patel caused an international incident by giving 3D-printed replica revolvers to New Zealand cabinet members and police; they had to destroy them as illegal under local law. A spokesperson said the replicas were “incapable of firing ammunition.”
Former FBI supervisory intelligence analyst George Hill said Patel’s conduct shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the bureau’s culture of quiet professionalism. “Handing out bottles of liquor at the premier law-enforcement agency - it makes me frightened for the country,” he said. “Standards apply to everything and everyone - especially the boss.” He added, “When you degrade the office like that, you degrade the impact. It’s a failure to lead.”