Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election, announced the nomination of his adviser and former official of his first administration, Cash Patel, for the position of head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"I am proud to announce that Cashyap 'Cash' Patel will become the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Cash is a brilliant lawyer," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
Patel previously worked as Chief of Staff at the Pentagon and senior Director of Counterterrorism in The National Security Council of the United States. Trump notes that Patel played a key role in the fight against allegations of alleged Russian involvement in the Trump campaign in 2016.
Patel is 44 years old, he is single, has a law degree. He was born in a family of immigrants from India. While working in the White House, Patel was allegedly Trump's unofficial adviser on Ukraine, Politico reported in 2019, citing sources. Patel, denying these allegations, filed a lawsuit against the publication.
In addition, according to Axios, Trump allegedly wanted to appoint Patel as deputy head of the CIA at the end of his first term, so that he could possibly replace Gina Haspel, who then headed the agency. Trump wanted his loyal supporter to be in her place, the publication specified.