FBI denies reports that Kash Patel travelled to Russia

The FBI denied reports on October 14 that its director, Kash Patel, had travelled to Russia. The agency said he was attending a law-enforcement-related event in Virginia, Reuters reported.

Earlier that day, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm reports of a planned visit. He said such visits were almost never announced, and that he had nothing to add.

MS NOW subsequently reported that Patel had arrived in Russia. The FBI’s response said he was at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Reuters also cited footage from a local ABC affiliate showing him at an event there.

The bureau’s statement contradicts the report of his arrival in Russia. It does not amount to an announcement of a future visit, and Peskov’s earlier refusal to comment did not confirm that travel had taken place.