FBI Defends Kash Patel's Distribution of Personalized Bourbon Bottles

The 750-milliliter Woodford Reserve bottles also feature the spelling "Ka$h" and, in some cases, Patel's signature. Recipients include FBI staff and civilians encountered in his role. One bottle was left behind in a locker room during that visit. On the same trip Patel was filmed drinking beer with the U.S. men's hockey team after it won gold, an episode that drew internal criticism because President Trump does not drink alcohol.

Patel responded at the time that he was simply celebrating with friends. In March Patel's team brought at least one case of the bourbon to a training seminar at the FBI's Quantico, Virginia, facility where Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes instructed agents.

When a bottle went missing Patel became extremely upset and threatened polygraph examinations and prosecutions of staff, according to multiple agents who contacted attorney Kurt Siuzdak for guidance. "It turned into a shitshow," Siuzdak said. He and other lawyers reported receiving similar calls from FBI employees worried about reputational damage and conflicting standards.

Siuzdak, a retired agent, has advised some clients to avoid Patel. The FBI did not dispute the distribution of the inscribed bottles. A spokesperson said they are part of a tradition of exchanging commemorative items that began well over a decade ago and that Patel pays for any personal gifts himself while following all ethical guidelines.

The spokesperson declined to specify which rules applied, when the bottles were engraved with Patel's name or whether past directors had distributed similarly personalized liquor. A former longtime senior FBI official laughed when asked if he had ever seen previous directors hand out personally branded bourbon bottles.

Several current and former agents, including senior leaders, said the practice of a director regularly giving personalized bourbon to civilians and staff was previously unheard of. They expressed concern that it bends the bureau's traditional zero-tolerance stance on alcohol misuse and creates uneven standards.

"It is so weird and uncomfortable," one former agent said. Another described the bottles as "demoralizing" and said many agents fear that declining a bottle enthusiastically could trigger a loyalty polygraph. >"Handing out bottles of liquor at the premier law-enforcement agency—it makes me frightened for the country.

" — George Hill, former FBI supervisory intelligence analyst (The Atlantic, May 2026) Patel has a documented history of producing and distributing branded merchandise. Items sold through a foundation he co-founded have included beanies, T-shirts, hoodies, trucker caps and Punisher-themed scarves.

He previously sold apparel tied to January 6 defendants that is no longer offered. Jensen, who helped oversee the January 6 investigation, was fired in August. His lawyer questioned whether the role was being used for self-promotion. In July Patel gave 3-D-printed replica revolvers to New Zealand officials and police, items that had to be destroyed because they violated local law.

A spokesperson for Patel said the replicas were designed to be incapable of firing. A Woodford Reserve spokesperson said consumers can have images engraved on bottles after purchase but had no information on who ordered the Patel versions.

He and others described an agency strained by staff purges and distracted leadership, warning that degrading the office could impair its performance during a crisis. The Atlantic purchased one of the bottles that appeared on an online auction site after its earlier reporting on Patel's conduct.

Patel has denied allegations of erratic behavior and excessive drinking and has filed a defamation suit against the outlet.