So Did You!' Kash Patel Gives Head-Scratching Reply When Being Accused of Lying to Congress

"Van Hollen, the ranking member of the committee, asked Patel during his second round of questioning, Have you had a chance to listen to or read about Brian Driscoll's statements about what you said to him and the reasons for his firing? Patel replied, No, I have not. So, let me just say this, Mr. Director. In your response to me earlier, where you had a little bit of a blowup, you made a couple of provably false statements, Van Hollen continued, pivoting back to his earlier dust-up with Patel."

"Patel shot back, So did you an apparent acknowledgement that Patel did indeed lie under oath. No. Mr. Director, I was reading about and asking you to respond to allegations that are made. In fact, I'm allowing you to do that. And you took that opportunity. But in the process, you made these provably false statements that I know are sort of like urban legend in right-wing media about margaritas in El Salvador, which is provably false, Van Hollen replied, adding: And so coming from the mouth of an FBI director to make provably false statements in a hearing like this is extremely troubling."

"And it leads me to ask whether or not the other things you've been saying are false statements. And so mybecause that's a provably false statement. You made a couple of others that are provably false, and this is from the mouth of the FBI director. My final question to you, Mr. Director, is do you know that it is a crime to lie to Congress? You know that. That's my last question. I have not lied to Congress, insisted Patel. Van Hollen replied, I didn't ask you that."

Sen. Chris Van Hollen accused FBI Director Kash Patel of making provably false statements during an earlier exchange about Van Hollen’s trip to El Salvador. During a second round of questioning, Van Hollen asked whether Patel had reviewed Brian Driscoll’s statements about what Patel said and the reasons for Driscoll’s firing. Patel said he had not read or listened to those statements. Van Hollen then asserted that Patel’s earlier response included provably false claims and said it was extremely troubling for an FBI director to make such statements in a hearing. Van Hollen asked whether Patel knew it was a crime to lie to Congress. Patel denied lying to Congress, and the confrontation escalated with Patel and Van Hollen trading accusations.

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