FBI Leadership & Accountability — 2026-03-26

FBI Investigating Former NCTC Director Kent for Classified Leaks as Public Dispute Over Kirk Assassination Probe Escalates

The FBI is investigating former NCTC Director Joe Kent for allegedly leaking classified information to Tucker Carlson and other media figures, including intelligence related to Israel and Iran, during his tenure. Kent had access to classified material until his resignation over opposition to the Iran war. The probe has been compounded by a public dispute over the Kirk assassination investigation: Kent alleges FBI Director Patel blocked him from investigating foreign ties, while FBI Public Affairs Assistant Director Ben Williamson issued a March 26 rebuttal calling Kent a dishonest hack and noting NCTC had zero investigative authority in the case. Williamson stated FBI allowed NCTC to assess intelligence reports and international terrorism returned no connections.

Analysis
The Kent situation represents a rare public fracture between the NCTC and FBI, two agencies that rely on close intelligence sharing. The FBI Public Affairs Director's unusually personal March 26 rebuttal, calling a former NCTC Director a dishonest hack, escalates the dispute beyond routine interagency friction. The leak investigation focuses on whether Kent's media appearances on Tucker Carlson included classified material from his NCTC tenure.

1 sources

FBI Public Affairs Asst. Dir. Ben Williamson Eviscerates Every Single Conspiracy Joe Kent Has Pushed - Twitchy