FBI Director Kash Patel’s decision to remove bestiality as an automatic disqualifier for FBI job applicants drew bipartisan disbelief Tuesday after he said the change was intended to protect trafficking victims coerced into sexual acts with animals.
The FBI previously automatically disqualified people who acknowledged engaging in crimes including prostitution or bestiality, which is sexual activity between a human and an animal. Now applicants won’t automatically be disqualified for those acts.
Patel said in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday that the new rules were put in place because “we did not want to punish victims of bestiality, victims who were trafficked.”
“We did not want to make it an automatic disqualification for the FBI to consider you if you are a victim of these awful heinous acts,” he said.
Senators across party lines immediately zeroed in on what Patel meant by “victims” of bestiality.
“Why would you even get into bestiality?” Republican Sen. John Kennedy asked Patel.
“We are not into bestiality,” Patel responded, before the senator cut him off.
“I know you’re not, but you changed the qualifications and mentioned bestiality,” Kennedy said, pushing for further explanation. Patel noted that some former trafficking victims had been disqualified for a job because they were forced into bestiality.
“But you’re not telling us today that if a human being had sex with an animal, that they can still be an FBI agent,” Kennedy asked.
“No, Patel said.
Outside of hiring practices, Patel was pressed on the ongoing investigations into the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the ousting of career FBI employees, and the bureau’s plans to patrol the upcoming midterm elections.
Outside of hiring practices, Patel was pressed on the ongoing investigations into the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the ousting of career FBI employees, and the bureau’s plans to patrol the upcoming midterm elections.
On some of those topics — like the Pretti and Good matters — Patel declined to share information because investigations were ongoing. As for the mass exodus of employees, Patel said that most retired and that those fired had “weaponized” the federal government.
In response to questions on the election, Patel said that the FBI was going to “house our agents and intel analysts in our field offices for election security,” but expressed some skepticism that the bureau is barred from sending agents to the polls.
“Do you pledge that you will not, in any way, interfere in the will of the American people when they go to the polls in November,” Democratic Sen. Peter Welch asked.
Patel said, “I pledge unequivocally that I will not participate in your charade of lies.”
Patel explains why FBI no longer considers bestiality an automatic hiring disqualifier
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., confronted FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday over changes in the agency's hiring qualifications, particularly as they relate to bestiality, in an oversight hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Historically, the FBI categorically banned people who had engaged in prostitution or bestiality from being hired.
Patel said the change allows applications from people who have been victims of these crimes to be considered. Before the shift, Patel said, people who were "on either side" of crimes including "prostitution, bestiality and trafficking" were "automatically disqualified."
"Whose side of what, the bestiality?" Kennedy asked. "So you disqualified the animal?"
Kennedy went on to press Patel's reasoning for making the change, saying the agency is "having a tough time attracting agents."
"Why would you even get into bestiality?" Kennedy asked. He added: "If Joe participated in bestiality, not as the animal, but as the human, don't you think he ought to be disqualified?"
"If he voluntarily did it, sure," Patel said, adding that in some cases human traffickers force people into "degrading acts of all kinds" including bestiality.
Patel was testifying in an oversight hearing on the nation's lead law enforcement agency, which has recently touted a drop in crime nationwide.
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