A fired FBI official told CNN that Kash Patel, the current FBI director, conditionally offered him a promotion on the condition he help remove agents connected to Trump investigations — effectively tying job security to political purges. The allegation is drawn from an exclusive CNN interview and corroborated by separate reporting from USA Today and The Hill about Patel facing pressure over drinking allegations and reports of retaliating against journalists. This is one of multiple controversies surrounding Patel's tenure, with Democratic lawmakers also investigating improper settlements paid to fired agents.