Sen. Adam Schiff on Thursday got into a heated exchange with Trump FBI director nominee Kash Patel after he demanded Patel look at Capitol Police officers amid criticism of Patel for producing a song that glorified January 6th insurrectionists.
Schiff at the hearing took aim at Patel’s work on “Justice for All,” a Star-Spangled Banner rendition that was sung by a group of defendants who were jailed over their participation in January 6th. Patel at the hearing falsely denied involvement in the song, despite him producing the song for the “J6 Prison Choir” to raise money for them and promoting it.
“You’re being considered for director of the FBI. And here you did no diligence to find out whether people you were associating with — now the president of the United States — in song were convicted of attacking police officers?” Schiff said during the confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I want you to turn around. There are Capitol Police officers behind you. They’re guarding us. Take a look at them right now. Turn around,” the California Democrat said to Patel.
Patel: “I’m looking at you. You’re talking to me.”
Schiff: “Look at them. I want you to look at them if you can — if you have the courage to look them in the eye, Mr. Patel, and tell them you’re proud of what you did. Tell them you’re proud that you raised money off of people that assaulted their colleagues, that pepper-sprayed them, that beat them with poles.”
“That’s an abject lie, and you know it. I’ve never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement,” Patel responded. “And I did not make a single dime out of it.”