[EXTERNAL EMAIL) - FBI Daily News Briefing - November 4, 2025

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pFederalBureau of Investigation -	November 04, 2025
Seal	Federal Bureau of Investigation
	Daily News Briefing
	(In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs)

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Table of Contents

• Continued Reporting: Director Patel Defends Country Star Girlfriend Amid Jet Scandal and Attacks

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Continued Reporting: Director Patel Defends Country Star Girlfriend Amid Jet Scandal and Attacks Two articles from The National Desk (11/03, Mallon) reported that Director Patel publicly defended his girlfriend, country music singer Alexis Wilkins, amid mounting criticism and scrutiny over his use of a government jet, calling out what he described as malicious personal attacks. In a social media post, Director Patel wrote, "The disgustingly baseless attacks against Alexis — a true patriot and the woman I'm proud to call my partner in life — are beyond pathetic. She is a rock-solid conservative and a country music sensation who has done more for this nation than most will in ten lifetimes. I'm so blessed she's in my life." He added, "Attacking her isn't just wrong — it's cowardly and jeopardizes our safety. My love of family will always be my cornerstone, and you will never tear that down or keep me from them." The articles explained that the controversy began when former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin

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publicized Director Patel's flight logs, alleging that he used a taxpayer-funded FBI jet to attend Wilkins' October 25 performance at Penn State University. Seraphin criticized Director Patel on his podcast, saying, "We're in the middle of a government shutdown where they're not even gonna pay all of the employees that work for the agency that this guy heads, and this guy is jetting off to hang out with his girlfriend in Nashville on our dime?" Director Patel reportedly confronted Steven Palmer, the FBI aviation unit head, following the reports, with Bloomberg Law noting that Palmer was pressured to resign. Wilkins, meanwhile, is suing Seraphin for defamation over prior claims that she was acting as a foreign agent. According to the articles, Director Patel's public defense of Wilkins came amid broader criticism of multiple FBI investigations. The articles also detailed that Director Patel has faced backlash for posting official FBI statements prematurely, including during the investigation into the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk. Defending his approach, Director Patel told Congress, "Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment? Sure. But do I regret putting it out? Absolutely not. I was telling the world what the FBI was doing as we were doing it and I'm continuing to do that!' The articles noted that Director Patel has also come under fire for the FBI's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein documents, where lawmakers accused the bureau of withholding key files. During testimony, he rebuked congressional critics, saying, "I'm not going to break the law to satisfy your curiosity," and later, "I'm going to borrow your terminology and call b-- on your entire career in Congress, which is a disgrace to the American publicf Despite multiple controversies, the White House has stood by Director Patel, with President Donald Trump stating, "I am very proud of the FBI. Kash — and everyone else — they have done a great job."

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