The FBI has faced accusations of politicization in relation to the Kash Patel nomination, with Democrats raising concerns.

The FBI has a history of politicization, and critics of Kash Patel, President-elect Trump's pick to lead the bureau, argue that he will only make the problem worse. However, Patel claims that he is the right person to address the issue and restore the bureau's integrity.

Trump announced that he is nominating Patel as FBI director, after years of experience as a public defender and rising through the ranks of the federal government, including as senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council under the Trump administration and chief of staff to acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller at the end of Trump's first term.

The FBI has had three directors since 2013: James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and Christopher Wray, all of whom were appointed by Trump.

The Patel pick has sparked outrage among the political left, prompting Planet Chronicle Digital to revisit a selection of the agency's past scandals that were criticized as politically motivated and damaging to its integrity.

FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page’s anti-Trump texts

"Is it true that Trump will never become president?" FBI attorney Lisa Page texted FBI agent Peter Strzok in August 2016, according to a report by Fox Digital.

Strzok and Page were both involved in Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which concluded that there was no evidence of Trump or his campaign colluding with Russia. However, Strzok was removed from the investigation after a text scandal, while Page left the team before the messages were made public.

The investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server for official government duties was also a collaborative effort between the pair.

In 2018, the FBI dismissed Strzok due to the controversial texts he sent, which sparked criticism from conservative politicians and commentators regarding the bureau's perceived bias.

Trey Gowdy, the then-Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, stated that Peter Strzok's bias, which leaned towards animosity, tainted the investigation. Strzok's bias influenced his decision-making and he took it upon himself to sabotage the Trump campaign or prevent a Trump presidency.

The South Carolina Republican stated, "This is not the FBI I'm familiar with."

Trump slammed the scandal as an instance of "treason."

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"The FBI is being discussed here, and that is treason," he stated. "That action is treasonous. What he tweeted to his lover is also treasonous."

Acting FBI Director McCabe fired after leaking to the media

The FBI Director James Comey was dismissed by Trump on May 9, 2017, and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe temporarily took over the agency. However, McCabe was later fired for allegedly leaking information to the press and initially lying about the leaks. The Justice Department's internal watchdog found this in a 2018 investigation.

McCabe was found to have made an unauthorized disclosure to the media and had a history of lacking candor, both in writing and under oath.

The Wall Street Journal reported on October 30, 2016, that the FBI had reopened its investigation into Hillary Clinton after discovering thousands of her emails on a laptop belonging to former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The story was based on information leaked by former FBI Director James Comey, who was later found to have violated department protocol by doing so.

A senior Justice Department official conveyed dissatisfaction to McCabe regarding the ongoing FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation, and McCabe maintained the FBI's right to proceed with the matter.

McCabe's lawsuit over his firing resulted in a settlement deal that restored his pension, vacated Sessions' decision, and removed any reference to being fired from McCabe's FBI record.

Conviction of FBI Crossfire Hurricane lawyer Kevin Clinesmith

During Comey's tenure as FBI director, the agency faced criticism when media outlets reported in 2019 that the DOJ's watchdog referred a criminal case to U.S. prosecutor John Durham regarding FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, elevating the investigation from a review to a criminal probe. Durham, who was the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, was later appointed by then-Attorney General Bill Barr to lead a criminal investigation into the origins of the FBI's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

In 2017, the Justice Department submitted a final renewal application to eavesdrop on Page under FISA, relying on Clinesmith's altered email assertion.

The Justice Department's charging document accused Clinesmith of intentionally creating and using a false document, knowing it contained a false statement, in a matter before the executive and judicial branches of the US government.

Clinesmith was found guilty of making a false statement in both the executive and judicial branches of the U.S. government, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

In 2021, he received a 12-month probation sentence and 400 hours of community service.

"Mornings with Maria" reported that Page stated that Friday marked the beginning of justice, as the DOJ and FBI finally acted in accordance with the Crime Victims' Rights Act, a law that had been ignored and disrespected for the past four years.

Prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn

Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser and former Obama administration Defense Intelligence Agency chief, faced legal troubles from the FBI during the start of Trump's first administration due to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. This investigation ultimately led to the Mueller investigation and the Durham report.

Flynn's cooperation with Mueller's investigation into Trump's alleged connections to Russia during the 2016 election was part of the plea deal.

The FBI's former head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap's handwritten notes following a meeting with Comey and McCabe indicated that agents planned to get Flynn to confess to violating the Logan Act when he spoke to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition period.

Strzok was notably one of the FBI agents who interviewed Flynn.

In 2020, Flynn was pardoned by Trump and his case was dismissed. Since then, Flynn has claimed that he experienced "political persecution of the highest order."

"In 2020, Flynn stated on Planet Chronicle that they had decided to go in a certain direction and that it was good enough for President Trump. However, he also acknowledged that it was a political persecution of the highest order and not something any American should have to endure."

Patel has consistently supported Trump, appearing with him during his trial in Manhattan and advocating for changes to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. In his book "Government Gangsters," Patel criticized the "deep state," the use of the federal government for political purposes, and the Russia probe into Trump.

"Patel wrote in his book that things are bad and the FBI has abused its power, threatening the rule of law and self-government. However, he believes change is possible and desperately needed at the FBI," the rewritten sentence states.

He argued for the establishment of a federal agency to investigate federal crimes, but acknowledged that the agency would always be vulnerable to having its powers misused. He proposed solutions such as removing "corrupt actors," increasing "aggressive" congressional oversight, restructuring special counsels, and relocating the FBI outside of Washington, D.C.

The choice of Patel by Trump has been criticized by Democrats and liberal media members as a "threat" to the U.S. and "unsuitable" for the position.

"Patel expressed his gratitude for being nominated by President Trump to serve as Director of the FBI. He stated that it is an honor to be chosen for this position and that he will work with the President to restore integrity, accountability, and equal justice to the justice system. He added that he will ensure that the FBI remains focused on its mission of protecting the American people."