Kash Patel, author of “Nunes Memo,†has been working for NSC since last year.
Indian American Kashyap “Kash†Patel, a senior director of counter terrorism at the National Security Council, has been named chief of staff to the new Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Patel’s appointment follows the resignation of Jen Stewart, who held the position until now.
Along with Patel, two other Trump loyalists have also been promoted to key positions, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
READ: Who is Kash Patel, Indian American official caught in the Ukraine scandal? (November 22, 2019)
Controversial retired brigadier general Anthony Tata has been made the policy chief, while Ezra Cohen-Watnick has been named acting undersecretary of defense for intelligence.
Trump had nominated Tata for the same job earlier this summer. But the nomination was withdrawn due to opposition from key senators. He had called former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader.â€He was also criticized for several Islamophobic comments.
Patel is also no stranger to controversy. Last year, he had filed a defamation suit against Politico and journalist Natasha Bertrand after they reported that he was involved in President Trump’s plan to withhold $400 million in aid to Ukraine to pressure that country’s leader to investigate former Joe Biden.
He sought $25 million from Politico alleging defamation. He said that at no time before October 30, he had ever communicated on Ukraine with the president.
READ: Indian American Kash Patel, author of the ‘Nunes Memo,’ gets a top NSC position (August 3, 2019)
Publicly released transcripts of the congressional testimony of former NSC Russia expert Fiona Hill and its then-White House official Col. Alexander Vindman had also mentioned Patel’s role in the matter.
Previously, Patel had worked for the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee when Trump loyalist David Nunes chaired the panel. He was one of the authors of the soc-called Nunes Memo that accused the FBI and Justice Department of bias against Trump.
4 Comments
I appreciate Kash Patel’s intelligence and courage. And to Carl Becker…why would anyone want to have a career in American politics at this juncture? The film of corruption from the past few years is so disgusting and stomach churning I wouldn’t consign anyone to rub shoulders with the DNC “gang”.
He’s probably corrupt! Kash Patel is brilliant!!
It is with great hope that your days in our national defense government are numbered in days and not months. Patel is a common as Smith in America. Sadly, my doctor, dentist, eye specialist are all last named as Patel’s . And a very dear friend of mind May Patel that I worked with from FEMA was also a Patel, that aspired to become an airline pilot. It saddens me that you don’t stack up in the least as the true American as the host of other Patel’s I’ve met. Shame on you. In closing don’t think for one minute that you’ll enjoy a career in American politics.
Most folks seems to like him. What is this guy’s problem(s)