Firing FBI’s Patel Is Price to Woo Democrat Lieu on Spy Powers

A member of House Democratic leadership would vote for a short-term spy powers extension in exchange for President Donald Trump removing Kash Patel as FBI director, he told reporters Tuesday.

“Kash Patel is a major obstacle to getting to a FISA deal, and it’s because many members of Congress simply do not trust Kash Patel,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (Calif.), the vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. Democrats have expressed alarm over reports of alleged excessive drinking and investigating a reporter who wrote an unflattering article.

Lieu’s comments come amid GOP infighting over whether to extend Section 702 of ...