Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen released his own alcohol assessment and challenged FBI Director Kash Patel to do the same after the pair clashed in a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill.
The FBI director freaked out at Van Hollen on Tuesday after the Maryland Democrat raised questions over reports of Patel drinking on the job.
The explosive exchange resulted in Patel firing back at Van Hollen, challenging him to take an alcohol “audit” by agreeing, “Let’s go side by side.”
On Wednesday, the Democratic senator posted his answers to the alcohol questionnaire on X and demanded that Patel do the same.
“Yesterday, @FBIDirectorKash told me he’d take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test if I did," he wrote. “Well, here’s mine. Given all the lies he told yesterday, I imagine he’ll fudge the numbers here, but let’s see yours, Director Patel.”
The senator included a signed screenshot of the ten-question assessment that indicated he typically has drinks containing alcohol two to three times a week, but that was the extent of his alcohol intake.
It was the latest challenge to Patel after the pair continued their feud in the hearing room online on Tuesday.
Patel posted a screenshot later that same day showing the senator’s campaign spent more than $7,128 at Lobby Bar in Washington, DC, in December, according to an FEC filing, after the FBI director accused the Maryland Democrats’ office of spending thousands on alcohol during the hearing.
Van Hollen shot back on X: “You got me, I catered a holiday reception for my staff with campaign — not taxpayer — dollars! Now let’s see your receipts."
Their heated back-and-forth began when the Maryland senator raised a series of recent reports alleging that Patel had been drinking excessively and had unexplained absences. Patel called the allegations “unequivocally, categorically false.”
But Van Hollen went on to ask him a series of specific questions about the reports, including explosive allegations in The Atlantic that prompted Patel to file a defamation lawsuit.
“I don’t even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn’t make it credible because you say so,” Patel fumed.
“I’m not saying it, Director Patel. It’s been written and documented,” Van Hollen responded.
“You are literally saying it,” the FBI director shot back.
“No, I’m saying that these are reports,” the Maryland senator pushed back before Patel melted down.
The 46-year-old FBI director accused Van Hollen of “slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you.”
In the same breath, Patel accused the senator of running up the $7,000 tab at Lobby Bar and claimed that the only person drinking “on the taxpayer dime during the day is you.”
Van Hollen tried to ignore Patel’s accusations and instead argued that there were serious allegations made against the FBI director, even as Patel continued to yell about margaritas and the Lobby Bar.
When Patel refused to address the reports, the Maryland senator instead asked the FBI director if he was willing to take the alcohol “audit test” to determine if he had a drinking problem.
“I’ll take any test you’re willing to take,” Patel responded.
“I’ll take it. You ready to take it?” Van Hollen said, to which Patel responded: “Let’s go. Side by Side.”
The Daily Beast asked the FBI whether Patel planned to release his own responses to the assessment in light of the senator’s post.
