‘So Did You!’ Kash Patel Gives Head-Scratching Reply When Being Accused of Lying to Congress

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and FBI Director Kash Patel sparred for a second time during Tuesday’s Senate Appropriations Committee hearing as Van Hollen accused Patel of lying earlier in the day about the Senator’s trip to El Salvador.

Van Hollen, the ranking member of the committee, asked Patel during his second round of questioning, “Have you had a chance to listen to or read about Brian Driscoll’s statements about what you said to him and the reasons for his firing?”

Patel replied, “No, I have not.”

“So, let me just say this, Mr. Director. In your response to me earlier, where you had a little bit of a blowup, you made a couple of provably false statements,” Van Hollen continued, pivoting back to his earlier dust-up with Patel.

Patel shot back, “So did you” — an apparent acknowledgement that he did indeed mislead Congress earlier.

“No. Mr. Director, I was reading about and asking you to respond to allegations that are made. In fact, I’m allowing you to do that. And you took that opportunity. But in the process, you made these provably false statements that I know are sort of like urban legend in right-wing media about margaritas in El Salvador, which is provably false,” Van Hollen replied, adding:

And so coming from the mouth of an FBI director to make provably false statements in a hearing like this is extremely troubling. And it leads me to ask whether or not the other things you’ve been saying are false statements. And so my—because that’s a provably false statement. You made a couple of others that are provably false, and this is from the mouth of the FBI director. My final question to you, Mr. Director, is do you know that it is a crime to lie to Congress? You know that. That’s my last question.

“I have not lied to Congress,” insisted Patel.

Van Hollen replied, “I didn’t ask you that.”

Patel fumed, “The only one who lied to Congress is you,” as Van Hollen hit back, “I’m not testifying here, sir.”

Read the rest of the heated exchange below:

Patel: Maybe the next time you run up a $7,000 bar tab, we can talk about it.

Van Hollen: Well, see, there you go lying again. You suggested…

Patel: It’s in the FEC report. I’ll post it right now.

Van Hollen: It wasn’t public money, as you know. That was for 50 members.

Patel: So it was a $7,000 bar tab.

Van Hollen: Mr. Patel, I’m glad—let me just say in closing, Mr. Chairman, two things. I’m happy that you have agreed to take the test regarding whether you have alcohol problems. I am glad you agreed with me to do that. You still haven’t answered my final question. Do you know, Mr. Director, that it is a crime to lie to Congress? Do you know that?

Patel: I do not lie to Congress.

Van Hollen hit back, “I didn’t ask you that.”

And you’re insinuating that I am. I asked you whether you know. You want to correct your time in this session where you got steamrolled by the facts so you can have a Twitter narrative, Mr. Director. I’ll raise more money and spend more money on $7,000 bar tab and I’m not going to give it to you.

Van Hollen: Just let the record show, Mr. Chairman, the director of the FBI apparently does not want to answer the question about whether or not it’s a crime to lie to Congress, and I find that extremely troubling.

Patel: I find it troubling that you lie to the Americans every day.

Van Hollen: You are a disgrace, Mr. Director, and the fact that you can’t answer that question, I will. That concludes my questioning, Mr. Chairman, but I’m obviously very troubled.

Watch the full clip above.

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