Two senior House Democrats are demanding that FBI Director Kash Patel cancel a planned trip to Russia, where he is expected to meet officials from the Federal Security Service.
Representatives Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes warned in a letter released October 9 that the visit could expose sensitive American intelligence to espionage ahead of the November midterm elections.
Politico first reported in July that Patel was planning a fall visit to Moscow and St. Petersburg, tentatively scheduled for October 14.
The FBI has not publicly confirmed the itinerary.
According to reporting by The Atlantic, current and former bureau officials have also privately raised objections, with some bringing their concerns to Congress after efforts to stop the trip failed.
Democrats Seek Classified Briefing
Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, requested a closed-door briefing by 5 p.
m. on October 12.
They want details about the trip's purpose, itinerary, planned meetings, accompanying personnel and security precautions, including Patel's activities during personal time.
In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized the sensitivity of the information available to the FBI director.
"As Director of the FBI, you possess information that would be highly valuable to America's adversaries," the lawmakers wrote.
"Unfortunately, your affinity for the Russian government does not inspire confidence that you will be able to effectively safeguard those secrets."
The letter also questioned whether closer law enforcement cooperation with Russia and China could create opportunities for foreign intelligence services to access American information.
The lawmakers requested details about cooperation with Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, including any internal objections raised by intelligence or law enforcement personnel.
Raskin raised particular concerns about the risks Patel could face during the visit.
"The whole thing to me is absolutely astounding," Raskin told The Atlantic.
"He will be a target and sitting duck for every kind of Russian espionage and influence operation. We are demanding they call it off.
This could be a disaster for our country."
The lawmakers also challenged the timing of the proposed trip, citing Russia's record of election interference, cyber operations and intelligence activities targeting US personnel.
Their letter questioned the visit's consistency with Washington's sanctions against Moscow over its war against Ukraine.
On October 9, President Donald Trump announced that Russia would supply millions of tons of diesel fuel to US and global markets.
Himes criticized the administration's approach to sanctions in a social media post that day.
"This is why I voted against the Russia sanctions bill," Himes wrote.
"Trump was never going to sanction Russia. He's going to refill Putin's coffers and get an oil deal done to enrich his cronies."
Concerns Inside the FBI
The proposed visit has also raised questions within the FBI about the agency's priorities before the midterm elections.
The Atlantic reported that 17 current and former FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials, along with other people familiar with the matter, expressed concerns about the administration's relationship with Moscow.
Christopher O'Leary, a former senior executive in the FBI's counterterrorism division, questioned whether Patel should leave the country during a period of heightened concern about election interference.
"If there was real concern about interference in our elections, then the FBI director should be in the United States leading the effort around the clock," O'Leary said.
Julia Curlee, a former CIA analyst who served on the National Security Council under the second Trump administration, also questioned the purpose of the visit.
"Unless he's going to warn them to stay out of our elections and get out of Ukraine, he has no business there," Curlee said.
Patel has defended developing international law enforcement relationships, previously describing the FBI's partnerships with Russia and China as "new and dynamic."
He has also called for congressional scrutiny of US aid to Ukraine and criticized the scale of American assistance.
The Atlantic separately reported that some FBI employees viewed the proposed trip as a potential security vulnerability.
The concerns come as Patel is suing the magazine for $250 million over an earlier report about his conduct and unexplained absences.
The allegations and the concerns about the Russia visit do not establish that classified information has been compromised.
The FBI and the White House did not respond to The Atlantic's requests for comment, according to the publication.
The FBI has not confirmed Patel's travel plans, leaving the proposed visit and its arrangements publicly unresolved.
