FBI Director Kash Patel set to face Senate grilling over leadership, taxpayer spending

Republicans will likely ask about probes into the federal investigation of attempts to overturn that presidential election, an issue Republican committee chair Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa has said is a top priority for the committee.

Tuesday’s appearance comes days after Joe DiGenova, who had been leading an investigation scrutinizing several of Trump’s foes and that sought to prove the president was the victim of a criminal conspiracy, abruptly resigned last week. Patel will likely receive questions over the implications and reasons behind DiGenova’s departure.

It will be Patel's first appearance before the Senate since May, when Democrats pressed him over a media report that the FBI director’s excessive drinking had interfered with his ability to lead the premier U.S. law enforcement agency. Patel defended his leadership and denied the report, arguing he has helped reduce crime nationwide.