Top FBI Official Dismissed Following Jet Use Scrutiny
Steven Palmer, a senior official within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and a 27-year veteran of the bureau, was reportedly fired on Friday, November 1, 2025. His dismissal comes amidst a controversy surrounding the alleged personal use of a government jet by FBI Director Kash Patel, which reportedly incensed the Director following media and social media attention.
Director Patel's Personal Travel Under Scrutiny
The events leading to Palmer's termination began with reports detailing Director Patel's use of an FBI jet for personal travel. According to multiple sources, Patel allegedly flew on an FBI jet to attend a wrestling event in State College, Pennsylvania, on October 25, where his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, performed the national anthem. Public flight logs for the jet, identified as N708JH, were reportedly traceable online, showing its movements to and from the event. Patel himself had reposted photos with Wilkins from the event on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The subsequent media coverage and social media discussions regarding his travel reportedly angered Director Patel.
Steven Palmer's Role and Dismissal
Steven Palmer served as the head of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), a unit responsible for handling major security threats and overseeing the agency's fleet of jets. Sources familiar with the situation indicated that Palmer was told he needed to either resign immediately or face termination, with his ouster being at least partially connected to Patel's fury over the negative press surrounding his personal travel. Palmer's dismissal marks him as the third head of the CIRG unit to be removed or fired during Director Patel's tenure, which began in February 2025.
Director Patel Responds to 'Baseless Rumors'
In response to the growing scrutiny, Director Patel took to his X account to address what he termed 'baseless rumors' and 'noise from uninformed internet anarchists and the fake news.' He defended his use of government aircraft, a practice that FBI directors are legally required to follow for security reasons to maintain secure communications. However, critics have pointed out that Patel had previously criticized former FBI Director Chris Wray for similar travel. Following the controversy, records for the movements of the jet N708JH were reportedly blocked on Flight Aware, with a message indicating it was 'not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.'
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