Kash Patel, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, has threatened legal action against a former aide to ex-Vice President Pence over her comments criticizing Patel, the aide said.
Olivia Troye, a former counterterrorism aide to Pence who has become a vocal critic of Trump, on MSNBC earlier this week said Patel would “lie about intelligence” and “lie about making things up on operations,” going as far to say he “put the lives of Navy SEALs at risk.”
In a letter sent to Troye’s counsel that she posted on X, an attorney for Patel called the statements defamatory and demanded Troye retract them or face legal action.
“This is a complete fabrication, and you know it is false by virtue of your former position in the White House,” Jesse Binnall, Patel’s attorney, wrote in the letter.
“At no point did Mr. Patel ever lie about national intelligence, place Navy Seals at risk, or misinform the Vice President,” Binnall continued. “Not only did you have actual knowledge of the falsity of this smear, but you also did so with the malicious intent of degrading his character and of cynical self-promotion.”
Binnall represents the president-elect in a civil lawsuit against him brought over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and also represents North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) in his ongoing defamation suit against CNN.
Troye on X said she stands by her statements.
“This aligns with his threats against the media & political opponents, revealing how he might conduct himself if confirmed in the role,” she wrote. “I stand by my statements — my priority remains the safety & security of the American people.”
Troye has become a vocal critic of Trump since leaving the White House, delivering a speech at this year’s Democratic National Convention in support of Vice President Harris’s candidacy and appearing in a Harris campaign ad.
Trump announced Patel as his choice to lead the FBI on Saturday, indicating he plans to fire current Director Christopher Wray. Patel, who served in several national security roles in the first Trump administration, is a staunch ally of the former president who has repeatedly accused a “deep state” of thwarting Trump.
Patel has crafted a list of figures he calls “government gangsters” who he says “must be held accountable and exposed in 2024.” The list includes Wray as well as Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“I am not the only one who has expressed concerns about him. So why me?” Troye wrote on X. “And so it begins.”
