Emails show Kash Patel’s Hawaii trip included VIP snorkel at Pearl Harbor memorial, AP reports
Government emails show military officials coordinated a rare VIP snorkel at the USS Arizona memorial, renewing questions about Patel’s travel and use of government resources.
- Emails obtained by The Associated Press revealed FBI Director Kash Patel participated in an undisclosed "VIP snorkel" around the USS Arizona last summer, an excursion the FBI omitted from official news releases.
- The sunken battleship entombs more than 900 sailors and Marines at Pearl Harbor, serving as a hallowed military cemetery where snorkeling is generally off-limits except for occasional research dives by marine archaeologists.
- Critics characterized the trip as an "unseemly distraction," with Stacey Young of Justice Connection stating it fits a pattern of Patel blending professional responsibilities with leisure, though the Navy described such outings as "not an anomaly."
- Official records indicate no FBI director has snorkeled at the memorial since at least 1993, contradicting claims the visit was standard national security engagement, and the agency declined to provide details on the arrangement.
- Patel has faced recurring scrutiny over his leadership for the past year, particularly regarding his use of government resources and travel blending professional duties with leisure, recently defending a hockey-team trip as "purposely planned.
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FBI director's 'VIP snorkel' at US war tomb revealed
Under-fire FBI director Kash Patel has become embroiled in another scandal after emails surfaced alleging he took a "VIP snorkel" trip at an undersea Pearl Harbour cemetery during a visit to Hawaii.Patel visited Hawaii in mid-2025, with media releases from the FBI at the time stating the Trump appointee was not on holiday and that he visited the islands as part of his job.However, emails obtained by Associated Press have reportedly revealed that…
Kash Patel's Hawaii trip included 'VIP snorkel' at a Pearl Harbor memorial, emails show
Government emails obtained by the Associated Press show that FBI Director Kash Patel went on a “VIP snorkel” session last summer at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
A sacred Pearl Harbor site became the backdrop for FBI director's private snorkel trip
When Kash Patel visited Hawaii last summer, the FBI took pains to note the director was not on vacation, highlighting his walking tour of the bureau's Honolulu field office and meetings with local law enforcement.
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