Former FBI director under Donald Trump, Kash Patel, criticized a TV news network, referring to it as an “a** clown factory” in an online outburst. Patel, now overseeing the FBI for Trump, objected to a story on MSNBC about an agent who was allegedly fired for refusing to participate in arranging a “perp walk” of former director James Comey, who is being pursued by the FBI at Trump’s behest for alleged false statements to Congress.
Reports suggest that FBI leadership sought a flashy arrest of Comey and requested robust agents in full gear, including FBI-logoed Kevlar vests, for the operation. When supervisory special agent Chris Ray, from the violent crimes division, was asked to assemble a team for the arrest, he declined, citing the inappropriateness of such an operation for a white-collar defendant like Comey. Consequently, Ray was reportedly suspended for insubordination.
MSNBC legal analyst Barb McQuade highlighted that Department of Justice policy prohibits “perp walks,” where arrestees are paraded before cameras. Patel seemingly confirmed Agent Ray’s removal from duty in a strongly worded but inaccurate social media post, criticizing MSNBC for spreading misinformation.
Perp walks typically involve detainees being publicly showcased in police custody as they are escorted to a police station or courthouse. Patel’s post mentioned individuals like Roger Stone, Peter Navarro, and Steve Bannon, implying they were perp walked. However, only Bannon faced a perp walk, not by the FBI but by New York law enforcement, in a separate case.
While Stone and Navarro were not perp walked by the FBI, Stone faced charges related to witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and lying to Congress, resulting in his conviction and later pardon by Trump. Navarro, arrested at an airport for refusing a subpoena, was not paraded before cameras during his arrest.
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