The allegations against Kash Patel have come from Kyle Seraphin, a MAGA former FBI agent-turned-critic podcaster. “We’re in the middle of government shutdown where they’re not even gonna pay all of the employees that work for the agency that this guy heads,” Seraphin said on his podcast. “And this guy is jetting off to hang out with his girlfriend in Nashville on our dime?” “He flew a $60 million aircraft to go hang out there. Is that gross to anybody else?” he said.
Big trouble for Kash Patel?
Kash Patel has been accused of using taxpayer money to fly his 26-year-old country singer girlfriend around the country. Patel, 45, was seen at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University where his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, performed at a Real American Freestyle (RAF) pro-wrestling event on Saturday. Wilkins posted a picture of herself with Patel, sporting an FBI-branded hoodie, at the event to her Instagram account on Sunday, the morning after the event.
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Public flight logs for Patel’s plane, N708JH, reveal the plane landing at Pennsylvania’s State College Airport on October 25—the day of the RAF event—at 5:40 PM EST. It took off from the same airport at 8:03 PM EST and landed in Nashville at 8:28 PM CDT. It left the next morning at 9:37 AM CDT for San Angelo, Texas for unknown reasons.
The jet was registered to the Department of Justice and it appeared to have taken a roughly 40-minute-long flight from the Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia to State College Regional Airport on October 25. And then nearly two and a half hours later, the jet departed from State College for Nashville, where Wilkins lives. The FBI and Alexis Wilkins did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Over the last few months, the FBI director has faced criticism from lawmakers for what they believe is overutilizing a government aircraft for personal reasons.ALSO READ: No degree, no discussion? China tightens the grip on influencers and its new law has sparked massive debate online. Check details
Can FBI chiefs use government aircraft for travel?
FBI directors must use government planes to ensure secure travel. As FBI director, Kash Patel is required to use a government aircraft for travel because he must have access to secure communications equipment. Directors are also required to reimburse the government for the use of the plane for personal reasons at the price of a commercial ticket.
However, reports have pointed out that Kash Patel often uses it to attend sporting events and supposedly visit Wilkins, leading to criticism about the amount of personal travel for the director. Patel has defended his use of the jet, telling lawmakers that “Congress made it mandatory” for him to use the government plane for any travel.
Yet some have recalled that Patel also once criticized former FBI Director Christopher Wray for the same thing. In 2023, Patel said Wray’s “private jet that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country” should be grounded.
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Kash Patel’s alleged joyride on a government plane is not the first time he’s been caught enjoying some taxpayer-funded personal trips. In April of 2025, two months after he got the job as FBI director, he reportedly took multiple trips out to Nashville to see Wilkins. He also flew her around to hockey games.