WASHINGTON DC — Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, demanded on June 15, 2026, that FBI Director Kash Patel account for over $1 million in bonus payments reportedly made to a select group of agents. Raskin requested a full accounting by June 29 and a response to allegations of politically motivated firings and misuse of personnel.

Raskin accused Patel of directing taxpayer-funded bonus payments to a small circle of agents, alleging that Patel authorized substantial recurring payments to agents in his inner circle and security detail. According to the House Judiciary minority committee, some agents received payments of nearly $8,000 every two weeks, despite already earning at the federal salary ceiling. The committee confirmed a number of agents received at least five such payments in consecutive pay periods, totaling close to $40,000 per person. The committee stated that FBI reserve accounts set aside for bonus payments were depleted and some payments bounced back from exhausted funds.

In a letter dated June 15, Raskin posed questions to Patel, writing, "Why are these agents receiving extra pay simply for doing their jobs?" and "Are they, in fact, collecting bonus compensation for engaging in actions outside of their duties and outside of the law?" Raskin stated the main beneficiaries of the payments were agents serving on Patel's director's advisory team, which was created in 2025. The letter cited reporting from The Atlantic alleging Patel had displayed erratic behavior and excessive drinking, and noted that agents on the protective detail had accompanied Patel on personal outings. Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, who authored an article on Patel's alleged drinking and absences.

The letter also cataloged a series of firings Raskin views as politically motivated. Brian Driscoll, a former acting director and FBI medal of valor recipient, was dismissed. Steven Jensen, who led the bureau's response to the January 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021, was also dismissed. Additionally, a dozen counterintelligence agents tracking Iranian threats were dismissed days before the U.S. launched military strikes on Iran. At a hearing on May 12, Democratic senators questioned Patel about whether FBI staff had been subjected to polygraph tests to identify those speaking to journalists. Patel stated, "I can tell you unequivocally this FBI is targeting and investigating no journalists." Raskin gave Patel until June 29 to provide a full accounting of all bonus payments, the identities of those who received them, and any internal communications assessing the legality of the payments.