FBI Director Kash Patel Faces Inquiry from Campaign Legal Center for Multiple Personal Trips on Government Aircraft

Date
Case
Holding the Trump Administration to High Ethical Standards
Issues
Ethics

WASHINGTON — On March 4, 2026, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint [see here] with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), urging them to investigate the use of government aircraft for at least 10 personal trips by Kash Patel, director of the FBI, without reimbursement. Patel may have violated federal travel rules and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch by misusing taxpayer-funded government resources.  

“The public has a right to know that government resources used by officials like the FBI director are done in service of the public’s best interest, and not for personal reasons,” said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director of ethics at Campaign Legal Center. “We urge the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General to investigate the multiple personal trips the FBI director has taken on government aircraft and inform the public if he complied with the legal requirement to pay for that travel himself.”

FBI directors are required to use taxpayer-funded government aircraft for both official and personal travel. If an FBI director needs to use government aircraft for personal reasons, then they are required to reimburse the government for these expenses.  

Multiple media reports and publicly available data show that over the span of a year, Patel took at least 10 trips that appear recreational in nature — including a recent trip to the Milan Winter Olympics in February 2026.

A prior FBI director was investigated and fired for similar personal use of government aircraft. Campaign Legal Center urges the DOJ’s OIG to investigate Kash Patel and determine if he should also be held accountable.

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.

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