FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly eschewed his law enforcement agency’s standard Chevrolet Suburban motorcade for a fleet of armored BMW X5s, a move that has drawn fresh scrutiny over his use of government perks that critics say often come at taxpayer expense, MSNOW reports. 

Mr.Patel, 45, reportedly requested that the FBI update its protective vehicle fleet with four new BMW sport utility vehicles, arguing that doing so would allow the FBI director to move about in a “more covert manner,” MSNOW reported Monday. 

The BMW X5 VR6 is designed to offer “a sporty, comfortable off-road vehicle” equipped with security features capable of protecting occupants from automatic rifles like the AK-47, according to the BMW website. 

The State Department regularly uses the armored BMW SUVs to transport diplomats and officials working in dangerous environments abroad. Historically, FBI directors, including Mr. Patel, have been transported to meetings and events in armored Chevrolet Suburbans. However, MSNOW reported that Mr. Patel is the first FBI director to “have use of this specialized foreign-branded vehicle.”

Shortly after the MSNOW story was published, FBI spokesman Ben Williamson took to X to call the story  “some of the most laughably dishonest framing I have ever seen.”

“The actual story: the FBI needed to update their vehicle fleet with four vehicles (which is common for security agencies) — and instead of paying for the traditional SUV’S (sic) the FBI always buys, Patel chose a vehicle that is about $250k CHEAPER. Saving around $1 million,” Mr. Williamson wrote on his X account. Mr. Williamson did not provide documentation or a cost breakdown comparing the BMW vehicles with the Suburbans to substantiate his claims.

The report comes as Mr. Patel was already facing increased scrutiny for his frequent — though legally mandated — personal use of the FBI’s Gulfstream private jet for trips that include a luxury golf resort in Scotland and a hunting preserve in Texas.

In October, he reportedly caught the ire of White House officials after publicly available flight logs circulating on social media confirmed he had flown his private jet to a wrestling event to watch his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, perform the national anthem during the ongoing government shutdown. Mr. Patel has steadfastly defended his use of the Gulfstream, claiming that, unlike his predecessors, he was “a steward of the taxpayer dollars.”

MSNOW also reported that earlier this year Mr. Patel “pressed” the FBI to purchase a new private FBI jet for his use, but abandoned the plan after the upgrade was projected to cost nearly $60 million.

Mr. Patel believed upgrading the plane would save the FBI money “because the existing leasing structure of the plane was incredibly expensive … and the thought was that getting out of that lease and purchasing a different one would save millions in the long haul,” an FBI insider told MSNOW. 

Instead, Mr. Patel had the existing jet’s communications equipment upgraded as he “needed more reliable internet on he plane so multiple people could post simultaneously on social media,” MSNOW reported. 

As FBI director, Mr. Patel is considered a “required-use traveler” and is mandated by Congress to fly on aircraft equipped with SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) communications. FBI directors are required to reimburse the government for personal travel at the cost of a commercial plane ticket. However, operational expenses like fuel and airport landing fees are covered by taxpayer money.

In response to MSNOW’s report, Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, called for Mr. Patel’s resignation.

“Director Patel has lost the confidence of the team he must lead,” Mr. Swalwell wrote on X. “Their leaks are desperate pleas to give them a director who can keep us safe.”