Patel is a controversial nominee, having long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

Sen. Dick Durbin said in a letter that Patel "may have perjured himself" when he said under oath that he was not aware of any plans to punish FBI agents who investigated Trump.

Kash Patel, who is President Donald Trump’s nominee for FBI director, was accused of directing firings of senior FBI officials from outside the agency.