IC Workforce & Organization — 2026-09-14

FOIA Texts Show FBI Director Patel Ordered Staff to Continuously Counter Social Media Criticism

BLUFFBI internal resistance to Patel's direct order to weaponize bureau communications reveals institutional guardrails still functioning, though on reputational rather than legal grounds.

Text messages released under the Freedom of Information Act, first flagged by journalist Seth Hettena, show FBI Director Kash Patel instructing Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson on February 5 to identify and respond to an X account, "@Ifindretards," that had mocked Patel's record amid Epstein-file criticism 12. Patel told Williamson to "find them, and post our record year results back at them all, continuously," citing 277,000 responses as evidence the engagement was not bot-driven 23. Williamson pushed back, saying the 277,000 figure reflected views rather than the roughly 400 actual replies, and told Patel that engaging the account "would look bad on you" 24. Patel replied that the dispute was not about them but about ensuring the FBI's statistics reached the number of people who had seen the post 23. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller 3.

Analysis
Williamson's refusal to execute Patel's order shows FBI public-affairs staff retaining enough institutional footing to check the director on reputational rather than legal or ethical grounds, exposing internal friction over how far Patel's personal grievances can steer bureau messaging, friction that may prove more durable than the underlying social-media spat. Patel's insistence may instead reflect a calculated push to counter Epstein-conspiracy amplification with favorable crime statistics rather than sensitivity to mockery. Reporting rests on a single primary account (The New Republic, via journalist Seth Hettena's FOIA release) with other outlets merely amplifying rather than independently corroborating. The episode adds a personnel-management dimension to existing criticism of Patel's leadership, and continued Epstein-file scrutiny ensures his staff decisions stay under media examination.

4 sources

Texts Reveal Kash Patel Ordering Staff to Fight IfindRetards Account - The New Republic
Kash Patel Sought Battle With IFindR*tards X Account: Texts - Mediaite
FOIA Records Appear To Reveal Kash Patel's Priority Is Tracking Down His Critics - The Daily Caller
FBI Records Show Kash Patel Ordered Staff To Fight Epstein Criticism on X After Troll '@Ifindretards' Mocked Him - IBTimes UK