FBI Assistant Public Affairs Director Ben Williamson slammed a report accusing Director Kash Patel of ordering FBI agents to give his girlfriend’s drunk buddy a ride home.
On Friday, MS Now reported that Patel had, on at least two occasions, demanded that the security detail he gifted to his girlfriend, 27-year-old singer Alexis Wilkins, act as a cab for her friends.
The report, which cites “three people with knowledge of the incidents,” further states that when FBI agents complained about the menial duty, Patel called the agent in charge of Wilkins’ security detail and berated him over the phone.
Williamson, who acts as Patel’s de facto damage control chief on social media, slammed the report as “1,000% false and did not happen” on Friday morning.
Williamson went on to say that he heard news of the report on Tuesday and that Wilkins, Patel, her security detail, “and more” all denied that it happened.
He alleges that when he asked whether “the reporter” could provide any further information, they said they had no proof to corroborate the story beyond what their sources told them. However, they maintained, “We are comfortable with our sourcing.”
The piece is credited to MS Now Justice and Intelligence Correspondent Ken Dilanian and Senior Investigative Reporter Carol Leonnig. The Daily Beast has reached out to both for comment.
Wilkins also denied the report, saying that Dilanian’s “three sources” were the voices in his head.
“Nice try, Ken. Let’s try something even remotely believable next time instead of some party girl trope that’s lame and verifiably false,” she added.
Dilanian and Leonnig also first reported that Wilkins received a security detail in mid-November. The FBI confirmed that report, saying Wilkins needs the security detail due to receiving “hundreds” of credible death threats due to her association with Kash Patel.
Former senior FBI agent Christopher O’Leary has criticized the detail as “a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources.”
This is not the first time Williamson has jumped to defend Kash Patel from allegations of impropriety related to his using FBI resources to treat his girlfriend.
On Oct. 30, right as stories about Patel using the FBI’s $60 million jet for his private entertainment began to surface, Williamson posted an impassioned defense of the 45-year-old director’s travel habits.
“Criticisms like this of Director Patel’s travel are disingenuous and dumb,” he wrote. “Kash himself has significantly limited personal travel - but he’s allowed to take personal time on occasion to see family, friends or his longtime girlfriend. He doesn’t do it often.”
Three weeks later, reports swirled that Trump was considering firing Kash Patel over the negative headlines surrounding Patel’s lavish use of FBI resources for his and his girlfriend’s personal benefit.
