FBI director Kash Patel was in the stands for the United States’ hockey semifinal against Slovakia at the Winter Olympics on Friday.
Patel used a government jet to fly to Italy in time for the climax of the men’s event, with Team USA chasing a second gold medal after the women’s team secured a dramatic overtime win against rivals Canada.
His flight to Europe could cost taxpayers as much as $75,000, according to estimates of government flight rates for that type of aircraft, but the Bureau hit back at criticism and insisted: ‘It is not a personal trip.’
The FBI boss – an amateur player and avid hockey fan – landed Thursday evening and also plans to attend the bronze and gold medal games this weekend.
But spokesperson Ben Williamson insisted Patel is on a business trip ‘that was planned months ago.’
He said the FBI director is there for meetings with ambassadors, Italian law enforcement and US agents stationed at the Legat. He also noted that the bureau ‘has a major role in Olympic security.’
FBI director Kash Patel was in the stands for the USA’s hockey semifinal against Slovakia
Patel used a government jet to fly to Italy in time for the climax of the men’s event in Italy
The United States took on Slovakia for a place in the gold medal match against Canada
A source familiar with the director’s role told the Daily Mail that the FBI ‘will be in charge of security completely for FIFA [World Cup] and the 2028 American Olympics.’
‘So if you don’t like to get blown up [at] major events, be grateful he is putting in this work now,’ the source fumed.
Patel plays in a hockey league in Virginia and has coached youth hockey in the past.
But he has come under fire over the last year for using government aircraft for personal travel – including attending UFC fights and rodeos with his country music artist girlfriend Alexis Wilkins.
Flight tracking data confirmed Patel’s movement, according to a CBS News review. It shows him taking a short flight from Manassas, Virginia to Joint Vase Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, and then on Thursday morning hopping aboard the government plane en route to a US Air Force base in Italy.
Williamson insisted the flight is a business journey planned months in advance for the purposes of discussing security with international law enforcement arms.
He called reports ‘misleading’ for saying the trip was made solely for the purpose of attending the Olympics.
The hockey game was tacked on to the trip at the last minute, the source claimed. ‘This wasn’t even decided until the day before he left,’ they detailed.
Dylan Larkin scores the United States’ first goal in Friday night’s showdown with Slovakia
Patel has used the FBI plane in the past to attend hockey games. Pictured: Patel sits with former NHL player Wayne Gretzky (center) and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (right) during the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks hockey game on April 4, 2025
Patel has also come under fire for using the plane to go to sporting events with his country music star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins. Pictured: Patel and Wilkins attend a rodeo together
Patel has previously used the FBI plane, the operations of which are funded by taxpayer money, to attend hockey games.
Back in April, he turned up at a charity hockey event – hosted by the FBI – before sitting alongside Wayne Gretzky as Capitals star Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL scoring record.
It costs US taxpayers a minimum of $5,000 per flight hour when the FBI Gulfstream jet is in air, according to government account estimates for the aircraft. This means that Patel’s trip could run taxpayers as much as $75,000, though actual cost could vary depending on multiple factors.
‘Do we think taking the taxpayer jet is worth the FBI Director meeting with all of these law enforcement agencies to keep Americans safe?’ the source familiar posed to the Daily Mail when asked about the cost of going to Italy.
