A group of House Democrats has formally requested that FBI Director Kash Patel complete and submit the results of an alcohol screening questionnaire to Congress, citing recent media reports about his drinking habits and unexplained absences from work.
The request, detailed in a letter dated Tuesday from Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, specifically asks Patel to complete an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, commonly known as AUDIT. This ten-question standardized examination is designed to identify harmful patterns of alcohol consumption and is recognized by the World Health Organization as the most widely used alcohol abuse screening tool globally.
The AUDIT questionnaire includes questions such as “How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?” and “During the past year, how often have you failed to do what was normally expected of you because of drinking?” While typically administered by medical professionals, the test can be completed independently.
Led by Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin, the lawmakers referenced what they described as concerning reports about Patel’s alcohol consumption, including a video showing the FBI director drinking beer with the U.S. men’s hockey team during this year’s Winter Olympics. The Democrats characterized these incidents as “alarming” and “indicative of a public emergency” when observed in the nation’s top law enforcement official.
In addition to requesting the completed AUDIT screening with a sworn statement attesting to the accuracy of his answers by next week, the lawmakers have also demanded all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed. They have further urged Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, to support their request and warned that failure to comply could result in Patel being required to appear at a congressional hearing under oath.
Patel has vigorously denied the allegations about his drinking habits. During a Tuesday news conference, he stated he has “never been intoxicated on the job” and described himself as “the first one in, the last one out” at work. He characterized himself as “an everyday American who loves his country, loves the sport of hockey, and champions my friends when they raise a gold medal and invite me to celebrate.”
The FBI director has taken legal action in response to the reporting, filing a $250 million defamation lawsuit in federal court against a major media publication and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick. The lawsuit disputes claims that he is a “habitual drunk” unable to perform his duties or that he has violated the Justice Department’s ethics code. It specifically rejects reporting that FBI officials once had to request “breaching equipment” because Patel was unresponsive behind a locked door. The lawsuit alleges the reporter acted with “actual malice,” the high legal standard required in defamation cases.
Congressional Democrats have previously raised concerns about Patel’s leadership of the FBI, including allegations that he has used government aircraft for non-official travel, such as attending a wrestling match in Pennsylvania and visiting a hunting resort in Texas. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin reported in February that he had received a whistleblower complaint alleging Patel’s use of government jets created a shortage that hampered the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year.
Patel, who previously served as an adviser during the Trump administration’s first term, has contested all these assertions. The Justice Department has not commented on the Democrats’ latest request.
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