News

‘Exaggerated his own importance’: Kash Patel gets brutal fact check from NYT

When Kath Patel wrote his memoir last year, he claimed to have been a critical piece in the investigation of the attack on a diplomatic compound in Benghazi in 2012. But a new report found his claims were grossly exaggerated.

The New York Times investigated Patel’s “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,” in which Patel touted himself as the investigation’s leader. He reiterated the claims in a September podcast of “The Shawn Ryan Show.”

“He has both exaggerated his own importance and misleadingly distorted the department’s broader effort,” the Times said, citing public documents and interviews with several law enforcement officials.

“By the time the D.O.J. was moving in full force to compile evidence and bring prosecutions against the Benghazi terrorists, I was leading the prosecution’s efforts at Main Justice in Washington, D.C.,” Patel wrote in the book.

His quote from the podcast repeated the claim: “I was the main Justice lead prosecutor for Benghazi for a while.”

Patel’s department at the Justice Department did not run the Benghazi investigation. While the main Justice Department helped support it, it was run out of the Washington, D.C., U.S. attorney’s office.

The timeline also doesn’t match up. The FBI’s Benghazi probe began shortly after the incident in 2012. Patel didn’t start working at the Justice Department until January 2014. According to the Times, he left in April 2017, “about six months before the first Benghazi case went to trial.”

Patel was in charge of helping mobilize Justice Department employees to contribute to the work being done in the D.C. office.

“He took up the task when a predecessor in the counterterrorism division left; records show that person started a detail working in a Senate office in November 2014. And at a later point, before leaving the section, he is said to have passed off the role to another colleague after friction with the prosecutorial team,” the report said.

Patel has also said the Justice Department begged him to join the prosecution team, but current and former officials dispute this, too.

Donald Trump’s transition team was asked for comment about the discrepancies and backed up Patel. They even mentioned that the department had awarded him for his work on the Benghazi case. That was false, however. While he was awarded, it had nothing to do with the Benghazi case.

Patel also acted as if Barack Obama’s administration never prosecuted those responsible, only taking one to court.

“I remember this meeting with then-A.G. Holder,” Patel told the podcast. “And we had a deck of like 19 guys we wanted to prosecute. You know, JSOC had them rolled up and we wanted to get them all. They 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed four Americans. You know, it’s a legit terrorist attack. And the basic general response from the F.B.I. and D.O.J. leadership was ‘it’s only politically convenient to get one guy.'”

In fact, the Times reported there were “complaints against about a dozen militants” — but they were filed under seal, which he likely would have known if Patel was involved. Patel also claimed that 19 people were in custody, but there was only one person in custody at that time.

Robert D’Amico, a former FBI agent who worked on planning to capture the main person involved in the attack, said that executing missions to obtain the others “just wasn’t feasible. You would have needed thousands of troops and invaded a country to get all of them.”

While the Obama administration captured the leader, Patel downplayed the seriousness, even going so far as to say, “They went and got basically the wrong guy. And then we prosecuted that wrong guy.”

Related Posts

Elon Musk’s fortune far surpasses double that of Bill Gates, as Tesla’s latest move sends shockwaves through the world, leaving rivals far behind in the billionaire rankings

Elon Musk’s wealth has surged to unprecedented heights, eclipsing the fortunes of other tech titans like Bill Gates by a staggering margin. Tesla’s recent unveiling of a groundbreaking…

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wrap up three-day Venice wedding extravaganza

It’s been both the most public and secretive wedding of the year. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez concluded their three-day-long Venetian extravaganza on Saturday evening with a celebration…

BREAKING: Utah becomes the first U.S. state to ban Pride flags in both public schools and government buildings

A las 3:00 de la mañana del lunes 30 de junio de 2025, hora de Vietnam, una noticia impactante sacude el panorama político y social de Estados Unidos….

“SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS: NBC’s Peter Alexander Faces Unbelievable Aftermath of Heated Confrontation with Karoline Leavitt—What Happened Next Was Something He Never Expected!”

Fox News’ Karoliпe Leavitt Stυпs Reporters with Fiery Exchaпge Dυriпg White Hoυse Briefiпg: A Tυrпiпg Poiпt iп Political Discoυrse Iп aп υпexpected aпd fiery momeпt at the White…

5 minutes ago: TV REBELLION? Roseanne Barr announces collaboration with Michael Richards on a controversial new sitcom. Michael Richards’ 7-word response leaves fans stunned: “We will take over…”

Los Angeles, CA – June 21, 2025 – Comedy legends Roseanne Barr and Michael Richards have sent shockwaves through Hollywood with the announcement of their new sitcom, Back to…

Angel Reese BREAKS SILENCE After Being Ranked Among WNBA’s WORST — Then ERASED from 2025 All-Star Ballot Without Warning

The backlash is booming – and Wnba is in a state of crisis. After Brittney Griner returned to the afterlife accusing the use of insults against Caitlin Clark,…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *