Patel personally directed the subpoenas compelling New York Times journalists — including one reporter’s own mother — to hand over phone records, in an investigation into who leaked security concerns about Trump’s Qatari jet. A federal judge only forced the withdrawal after directly challenging the government’s justification and reportedly threatening sanctions if the subpoenas weren’t pulled. Patel has also confirmed the FBI is actively investigating nonprofit funding tied to what the administration broadly labels “Antifa” — under a presidential memorandum the Brennan Center says is the first directive in American history authorizing preemptive law enforcement action based on political belief rather than evidence of planned violence, not conduct. An FBI Director’s job is protecting the country from real threats through lawful investigation. Patel has used the Bureau’s investigative machinery to chase a reporter’s family members and to build infrastructure explicitly designed around ideology rather than crime.