FBI Director Kash Patel flew to Italy just in time for the climax of the men’s Winter Olympics hockey event – but the Bureau insists it is ‘not a personal trip.’
Patel used a government jet to travel to Europe on Thursday, with Team USA chasing a second hockey gold medal after the women’s team secured a dramatic overtime win against rivals Canada.
The FBI boss – an amateur player and avid ice hockey fan – landed Thursday evening and plans to attend the bronze and gold medal games this weekend.
Team USA reached the semifinals thanks to a 2-1 win over Sweden on Wednesday. They face Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday, ahead of a potential showdown with Canada.
Patel’s flight to Italy could cost taxpayers as much as $75,000, according to estimates of government flight rates for that type of aircraft.
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson insists it is a business trip ‘that was planned months ago,’ and said Patel will have meetings with ambassadors, Italian law enforcement and US agents stationed at the Legat there. He also noted that the bureau ‘has a major role in Olympic security.’
A source familiar with the director’s role told the Daily Mail that the FBI ‘will be in charge of security completely for FIFA [World Cup] and the 2028 American Olympics.’
‘So if you don’t like to get blown up [at] major events, be grateful he is putting in this work now,’ the source fumed.
FBI director Kash Patel has flown to Italy but officials insist he is there for a business trip
Team USA faces Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday, ahead of a potential clash with Canada
The Americans reached the semifinals thanks to a 2-1 win over Sweden on Wednesday
‘Kash just called me and told me to add: ‘Please tell them yes, I am rooting for the greatest team on earth from the greatest country on earth. Go Team USA,” Williamson wrote on X.
Jason Kelce and Tom Brady were both in the stands as Team USA came from behind to secure a 2-1 win in the women’s final on Thursday.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance traveled to Milan for the Olympics opening ceremony. The vice president was booed by some fans inside the stadium.
Patel plays in a hockey league in Virginia and has coached youth hockey in the past.
The FBI Director has come under fire over the last year for using government aircraft for personal travel – like attending UFC fights and rodeos with his country music artist girlfriend Alexis Wilkins.
Flight tracking data confirmed Patel’s movement, according to a CBS News review. It shows him taking a short flight from Manassas, Virginia to Joint Vase Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, and then on Thursday morning hopping aboard the government plane en route to a US Air Force base in Italy.
Williamson insists the flight is a business journey planned months in advance for the purposes of discussing security with international law enforcement arms. He called reports ‘misleading’ for saying the trip was made solely for the purpose of attending the Olympics.
The hockey game was tacked onto the trip at the last minute, the source familiar told the Daily Mail of the decision for Patel to stop by the men’s hockey medal rounds while in Italy.
‘This wasn’t even decided until the day before he left,’ they detailed.
Patel has used the FBI plane in the past to attend hockey games. Pictured: Patel sits with former NHL player Wayne Gretzky (center) and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (right) during the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks hockey game on April 4, 2025
Patel has also come under fire for using the plane to go to sporting events with his country music star girlfriend Alexis Wilkins. Pictured: Patel and Wilkins attend a rodeo together
Patel has previously used the FBI plane, the operations of which are funded by taxpayer money, to attend hockey games.
Back in April, he turned up at a charity hockey event – hosted by the FBI – before sitting alongside Wayne Gretzky as Capitals star Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL scoring record.
It costs US taxpayers a minimum of $5,000 per flight hour when the FBI Gulfstream jet is in air, according to government account estimates for the aircraft. This means that Patel’s trip could run taxpayers as much as $75,000, though actual cost could vary depending on multiple factors.
‘Do we think taking the taxpayer jet is worth the FBI Director meeting with all of these law enforcement agencies to keep Americans safe?’ the source familiar posed to the Daily Mail when asked about the cost of going to Italy.