Kash Patel Vows to Restore 'Accountability and Transparency' at FBI — Says Comey Case Is 'Far From Over'

FBI Director Kash Patel told Lara Trump on her show My View with Lara Trump that he is committed to restoring "accountability and transparency" at the bureau and insisted the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey is "far from over."

Trump reminded Patel that he had been openly critical of the prior administration for what he described as politicization of the FBI. She asked what concrete steps he has taken and what additional measures he plans to rebuild public trust.

Patel said rebuilding trust starts with acknowledging what he described as past abuses during the Russiagate inquiry, which he said he helped expose as a Capitol Hill investigator. He accused prior leadership of FISA abuse, weaponizing the agency, and presenting inaccurate information to a secret court to surveil a political opponent.

"Yes, that happened with information they basically made up from overseas. So the way that we ensure public trust is to make sure that it never happens again. That's step one," Patel said.

He added that the second step is strengthening accountability and transparency through increased congressional oversight and internal investigations. Patel highlighted the volume of material his team has provided to lawmakers: while predecessors produced thousands of pages over multiple years, he said his office has supplied roughly 40,000 pages in nine months covering Russiagate, the Arctic Frost inquiry, and other matters of interest to Congress.

Patel also described the discovery of previously undisclosed rooms at FBI headquarters that he said were "hidden away from the map" of the building. He claimed agents found materials there tied to what he called the Russiagate "hoax," including documents in burn bags that appeared to have been slated for destruction.

On investigations, Patel said two separate teams are pursuing the Russiagate and Arctic Frost matters. He said the FBI has convened grand juries and issued dozens of subpoenas — an estimate he placed between 75 and 100 — to interview witnesses and identify potential targets of criminal investigation.

"We're using a grand jury process, and we are issuing, I think we're up to like 75 or 100 subpoenas already for witnesses. We also have targets for our investigation, people we think committed acts of criminal conduct," Patel said.

Patel suggested intense media scrutiny of the Comey prosecution — which a judge previously dismissed because the interim U.S. attorney who brought the case had been deemed unlawfully appointed — is an indicator the inquiry is striking sensitive nerves. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she will immediately appeal that ruling. In the meantime, Patel said the FBI and the Justice Department are exploring alternate legal options to keep the Comey matter under review.

Note: This report summarizes public comments made by Patel during a television interview and reflects his allegations and the responses of the Justice Department as reported. Some claims described here — including allegations of FISA abuse and secret documents — are contested and have been the subject of congressional and judicial review.

Fox News reporter Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.