Kash Patel Works For 13 Hours Daily, His Deputy Says Amid Nightclub Row

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel arrives at the office at 6 am and rarely leaves before 7 pm, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said while refuting reports questioning the leadership style of his boss.

In a recent appearance on Fox News, Bongino described the personal sacrifices that come with the job. “My wife is struggling. But I am not a victim. I am not James Comey (former FBI director). I did this and I am proud that I did it,” he said.

In a bizarre moment, Dan Bongino sobbed on FOX and Friends: "I gave up everything for this, I mean, my wife is struggling and I stare at the four walls all day in DC, you know, by myself...."

Hmm. So the big, strong Alpha male can't handle the job a woman previously filled. pic.twitter.com/hHcVNfY7HH

— MP Arizona☀️????️‍????????????????????‍????????????????????????????????????♍️???? (@AzPetrich) May 29, 2025

Comey had raised questions about Kash Patel and Dan Bongino's leadership. "There are lots of people in the FBI who know what they're doing. I hope these two guys are letting them guide them," he told CNN.

Comey, a strong critic of Donald Trump, was fired by the President in 2017. 

Both Bongino and Patel have pushed back against criticism that the FBI's current leadership has lost touch with its mission, especially following delays in the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Bongino also addressed claims that Patel was disengaged from his responsibilities. Without directly naming critics, he said, “If you think we are there for tea and crumpets...I mean, Kash is there all day.”

He added that their offices are so close that he can even hear when Patel turns on a faucet. “I stare at these four walls all day in DC, you know, by myself, divorced from my wife. Not divorced, but I mean, separated. And it's hard. We love each other, but it's hard to be apart,” Bongino said.

Bongino's remarks come at a crucial time, as Kash Patel faces accusations that he prioritises social outings over his FBI duties. 

Earlier this month, former FBI counterintelligence chief Frank Figliuzzi suggested on MSNBC that Patel has been seen at nightclubs more often than at the Hoover Building's seventh floor. Figliuzzi also claimed that Patel's intelligence briefings have been reduced from daily to possibly twice a week.

There have also been reports that Patel is splitting his time between Washington, DC, and Las Vegas, where he reportedly has a residence.

Kashyap ‘Kash' Patel was appointed FBI Director in February this year. Born in New York in 1980 to Gujarati parents, Patel spent part of his early years in East Africa before returning to the US. He completed his schooling at Garden City High School in Long Island.