FBI has commissioned a classified and internal 'Patel Report' about
times when it 'fell short'
[October 03, 2026]
By ERIC TUCKER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is issuing a classified report to its
workforce examining what it says are chapters from the bureau's history
“where this institution fell short,” according to an internal message
obtained Friday by The Associated Press.
It was unclear what episodes from the FBI's past are chronicled in the
new “Patel Report.” But the document's existence is in keeping with
Director Kash Patel's vocal criticism of the leaders who preceded him
and with his determination to rid the FBI of agents he contends have
politicized the bureau in the past. Patel's critics say he is the one
who has weaponized the FBI and that his scrutiny of his predecessors and
their decision-making is part of an effort to rewrite history in favor
of President Donald Trump.
Patel pledged at his confirmation hearing last year that he would not
look “backward," but as director, he has encouraged investigations of
former senior officials and presided over sweeping terminations,
including of employees who participated in years-old investigations of
Trump, were photographed taking a knee during a 2020 racial justice
protest and contributed to a disputed analytical memo about Catholic
extremism.
“The Patel Report looks backward because accountability demands it,”
says a message to the workforce signed by the FBI's co-deputy directors,
Christopher Raia and Andrew Bailey. The message describes the report as
marking the “closing of one chapter in our history and the beginning of
another complete with a brighter future ahead.”
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Bailey announced his resignation earlier this week, and his last day
is Friday. The FBI declined to comment on the report.
The message also says: “We cannot change what happened before we
arrived. But we can confront it honestly. We can recognize failures
instead of protecting them. We can hold people accountable. We can
fix what was broken. And we can build safeguards strong enough to
ensure the mistakes of the past are never allowed to define this
institution again. These steps are consistent with any institution
of excellence that is constantly striving for improvement."
It was unclear if the report made recommendations or demanded any
action to address what the FBI now regards as past shortcomings.
The FBI message says the report is meant to "promote fierce
organizational accountability” and rebuild “public trust.” But
Patel’s critics say the politically charged investigations into
perceived adversaries of Trump that the FBI has embarked on under
his watch, as well as the punishment of agents who participated in
investigations into the Republican president to which they were
assigned, have eroded faith in the nation’s premier federal law
enforcement agency.
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