What the hell is going on in Kash Patel's FBI?!

No claims match the selected verdicts. Show all

1. Claim 1

   Accurate98% confidence▶ 0:21

   “What we did was we did not want to punish victims of beastiality, victims who were trafficked. We did want not want to make it an automatic disqualification for the FBI to consider you if you are a victim of these awful heinous acts.”

   Patel said the FBI changed its policy so victims of bestiality or trafficking would not be automatically disqualified from consideration.

   Patel gave this explanation during the Senate hearing, and contemporaneous reporting confirms that the FBI said the policy change was intended to prevent victims of trafficking or sexual abuse from being automatically excluded.

   Sources

   • 1FBI chief Kash Patel defends hiring policy changes on prostitution, bestiality at fiery hearing↗

     SupportsFBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday defended the bureau’s loosening of hiring requirements regarding prostitution and bestiality, saying the changes were meant to enable victims of those acts to apply for employment without fear of automatic disqualification.

   • 2FBI director insists new hiring standards on prostitution and bestiality were only meant to assist sexual assault victims↗

     SupportsPatel insisted that several changes were made to ensure that victims of sexual assault or trafficking involving animals were not precluded from employment at the FBI.

2. Claim 2

   Accurate95% confidence▶ 0:35

   “They still have to go to the same rigorous standards and application process.”

   Patel said that applicants covered by the change would still undergo the same rigorous FBI standards and application process.

   The FBI describes its selection system as a thorough, multi-step process involving testing, a polygraph, medical evaluation, and a background investigation. CBS also reported Patel making this exact assurance.

   Sources

   • 1Special Agent Application and Evaluation Process↗

     SupportsThe application and clearance process is thorough and can be lengthy, but an applicant coordinator guides you through the entire process.

   • 2FBI director insists new hiring standards on prostitution and bestiality were only meant to assist sexual assault victims↗

     SupportsThey still have to go through the same rigorous standards and application process," Patel added.

3. Claim 3

   Misleading50% confidence▶ 0:48

   “You dropped automatic disqualification for applicants who have been engaged in beastiality, not victims of beastiality. Applicants who have engaged.”

   Durbin said the policy removed automatic disqualification for applicants who had engaged in bestiality, rather than applying only to victims.

   The policy did remove an automatic bar for applicants with a history of bestiality, but it was not limited to non-victims. Reporting says the revised eligibility requirements did not distinguish coerced conduct from willing conduct, so Durbin’s contrast creates the false impression that victims were excluded from the change.

   Omits: The policy did not distinguish between applicants coerced into sexual activity with animals and those who engaged willingly; it used an age-based condition, allowing consideration when the conduct occurred before age 18.

   Sources

   • 1FBI director insists new hiring standards on prostitution and bestiality were only meant to assist sexual assault victims↗

     SupportsSources previously told CBS News that the new eligibility requirements do not distinguish between candidates who were coerced into sexual activity with animals, as opposed to those who engaged in such acts willingly.

   • 2Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Scrutinize Director Patel’s Decision To Gut FBI’s Hiring Standards↗

     BackgroundOther extreme conduct, including a history of bestiality or animal cruelty, is not automatically disqualifying under this new policy either, so long as the conduct occurred before the applicant turned 18.

4. Claim 4

   False98% confidence▶ 1:02

   “Applicants who have engaged in beastiality means they were victims of beastiality because they were forced to do so.”

   Patel said that applicants who had engaged in bestiality were victims because they had been forced to do so.

   The available reporting states that the new requirements did not distinguish applicants coerced into sexual activity with animals from those who engaged willingly. Therefore, engagement in the conduct does not establish that every applicant was a forced victim.

   Sources

   • 1FBI director insists new hiring standards on prostitution and bestiality were only meant to assist sexual assault victims↗

     RefutesSources previously told CBS News that the new eligibility requirements do not distinguish between candidates who were coerced into sexual activity with animals, as opposed to those who engaged in such acts willingly.

   • 2Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Scrutinize Director Patel’s Decision To Gut FBI’s Hiring Standards↗

     RefutesOther extreme conduct, including a history of bestiality or animal cruelty, is not automatically disqualifying under this new policy either, so long as the conduct occurred before the applicant turned 18.

5. Claim 5

   Accurate88% confidence▶ 1:11

   “It it automatically disqualified any individual who participated on either side of it.”

   The prior FBI rule automatically disqualified individuals who participated in bestiality.

   The prior FBI eligibility guidance listed engagement in bestiality as an automatic disqualifier, and reporting confirms that applicants who engaged in such conduct were previously automatically excluded. The phrase “either side” is unclear, but the underlying claim about automatic disqualification is supported.

   Sources

   • 1Special Agent FAQ↗

     SupportsEngagement in prostitution or bestiality

   • 2FBI director insists new hiring standards on prostitution and bestiality were only meant to assist sexual assault victims↗

     SupportsPreviously, anyone who engaged in such conduct was automatically precluded from working at the bureau.