1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to remove Kash Patel from his position as FBI Director. His recent handling of the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, demonstrates a dangerous pattern of incompetence and self-promotion that is actively harming victims and undermining the FBI's mission. On Tuesday, Patel appeared on Fox News claiming substantial progress in the Guthrie investigation and announcing that authorities had identified persons of interest. Shortly after this interview, the man detained for questioning was released from custody, completely undermining Patel's public statements. Christopher O'Leary, a former senior executive at the FBI's counterterrorism division, called these comments incredibly inappropriate and accused Patel of using media appearances to compensate for complete ineptitude. O'Leary's assessment was comprehensive and damning. He stated that Patel lacks leadership experience, operational experience, and investigative experience. More critically, O'Leary questioned Patel's judgment, character, integrity, and virtue, arguing that Patel has no loyalty to the Constitution, the American public, or the FBI's mission. This leadership failure is costing victims, affecting not only the Guthrie family but the American people more broadly. Patel's tenure has also depleted the FBI of career professionals with critical expertise through politically motivated firings. In August, he terminated Brian Driscoll, the assistant director of the critical incident response group, without cause. O'Leary described Driscoll as one of the finest professionals he ever worked with and noted that Driscoll would have been in charge of the massive response to the Guthrie case. The FBI's ability to protect Americans depends on experienced, principled leadership. Patel has proven himself unfit for this responsibility. I urge you to support his immediate removal and replacement with a qualified professional who will prioritize the safety of American families over political loyalty and media attention.