One of the "corrupt actors" from the "deep state" on Kash Patel's list is going to the extreme of relocating their family ahead of Patel's possible confirmation as FBI director.
After being given permission to speak openly about security measures, the person made the decision to move in the upcoming weeks and is taking additional precautions to ensure that their new house purchase remains secret. They claimed that they are taking this action because they fear Patel may use the FBI as a weapon against them or use his position to encourage others to act.
We were fed up with the tension of constantly having to watch over our shoulders after being doxed a few years ago, the individual told CNN. "Everyone is entitled to a secure and safe home." It will be a relief to move and take the necessary steps to ensure that our address remains anonymous.
The aforementioned list is included as an appendix at the conclusion of Patel's book "Government Gangsters," published in 2023. It lists over 50 US officials, both past and present, whom he says are "members of the Executive Branch deep state," a "dangerous threat to democracy."
Interviews with almost a dozen persons on Patel's list or who worry about being investigated by the Patel-run FBI reveal that some of these individuals are now taking drastic steps to safeguard themselves and their families. Both well-known and lesser-known officials are on the list, making them potentially more vulnerable in the event that Patel seeks retaliation.
Speaking on the list of names in Patel's book, Patel spokesperson Erica Knight remarked, "You're referring to the glossary of a book." "Kash Patel will fight violent crime, eradicate the deadly fentanyl crisis, and remove criminals from our streets by upholding the Constitution and the law." Any idea of "retribution" is ludicrous and untrue.
Another former US official on Patel's list, however, stated that they have spoken to former federal government coworkers who also worry about being singled out by the Trump administration and are thinking about transferring their assets into their partner's name and taking other precautions to protect their financial accounts in case they are sued or otherwise harassed by the law.
Despite Patel's years of advocacy for pro-Trump "deep state" conspiracy theories and his public promises to exact revenge on President Donald Trump's alleged political rivals, the majority of Republicans have united behind his nomination.
Patel has been under fire from Congressional Democrats on numerous occasions for what they refer to as a "enemies list," a designation that Trump supporters have denied. Trump, on the other hand, has maintained that targeting some of these individuals is essential to "ending the weaponization of the federal government," as he feels that they wrongfully singled him out during his first term in office.
Democratic lawmakers charged Patel with having a "enemies list" at least six times during attorney general nominee Pam Bondi's confirmation hearing earlier this month, and the subject is certain to resurface during his own hearing.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that "Patel has even compiled an enemies list of 'government gangsters' to target." He went on to say that "his enemies list, what he calls his government gangsters, this is what you expect of Stasi, this is what you expect of secret police."
"The Department of Justice will never have an enemies list," Bondi assured legislators. Additionally, John Fetterman, a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, claimed that Patel promised him in a private meeting that he would not target Trump's adversaries.
"Totally inappropriate and unacceptable."
Trump has already begun to seek revenge on his own.
The president revoked the security clearances of fifty-one former intelligence officers who signed a 2020 letter claiming that emails from Hunter Biden's notorious laptop might include Russian-made disinformation within hours of taking office. (President Joe Biden's Justice Department subsequently declared the laptop to be genuine.)
Additionally, Trump quickly removed his former national security adviser John Bolton's credentials. Additionally, he eliminated Bolton's security detail. Bolton left the Trump White House in November 2019 and was protected by the US Secret Service due to Iranian threats against him. Additionally, Trump fired Dr. Anthony Fauci's security detail, whom he has been angry about since the Covid-19 epidemic.
Many people are feeling a spectrum of emotions of fear because to Patel's "deep state" list and the commander-in-chief's apparent approval of seeking payback. Former Trump national security adviser and Bolton supporter Charles Kupperman told CNN that Patel is unfit to head the FBI because of his public record.
The list at the end of Patel's book includes both Bolton and Kupperman.
"His work history falls short of the necessary criteria for management, leadership, and character. It is totally unethical and unacceptable to use overt or covert threats against anyone who disagree with his confirmation, Kupperman stated.
Well-known figures and relative unknowns
The majority of those on Patel's list of "corrupt" members of the "deep state" are well-known figures who are likely to be the focus of Republican investigations, such as Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, a number of lower-level federal servants—the majority of whom are now private citizens—are on the long list and may not have the same legal or security protections if the Trump administration chooses to target them.
Several of the current and former officials on the list had ties to the 2016 election-related Trump-Russia probe. Others were former Trump supporters who refused to follow his instructions in the FBI or Justice Department. During Trump's first impeachment, a few public personnel testified against him before Congress.
Another person on Patel's list stated, "I don't worry about Kash pursuing me. He wouldn't benefit much from it. And whether they are on his list or not, there are a lot of more important issues to address.
The subset of lesser-known individuals and those who aren't on the list but anticipate being singled out by the incoming Justice Department for their open opposition to Trump have taken a flurry of prophylactic measures in preparation of Patel's confirmation.
"A large portion of the list will be inaccessible. Who is on the next layer, then? People from the good government community are involved. An individual who leads a group that spearheaded anti-Trump actions in 2024 told CNN, "There were people who did everything they could to hold Trump accountable," including for the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
For the first time, that foundation has brought in outside attorneys to assist be ready for any criminal investigations and congressional supervision by Trump's Republican friends.
"It's not inexpensive," the individual stated.
By implementing stronger rules to stop workers from being careless in emails and texts, the group is also attempting to cut down on staff members' messaging and internal paper trails that could cause issues if they are subpoenaed and made public.
Some protected by pardons from Biden
Biden made the historic decision to offer preemptive pardons to some of the individuals Trump has promised to prosecute and imprison on numerous occasions before he left office.
The last-minute pardons were given to "the staff of the select committee," the police officers who testified before the committee, and the Democratic and Republican MPs who were members of the House select January 6 committee.
One Democratic lawmaker familiar with the discussions told CNN that many members of the now-defunct January 6 committee had received frequent messages from friends and constituents urging them to take security precautions, with some even offering to pay for security details, prior to Biden's preemptive pardons.
According to a 2023 CNN article, many of the former January 6 committee officials had previously acquired liability insurance while doing their duties, and all of them were also granted preemptive presidential pardons.
Biden was criticized by a key witness in the January 6 investigations who was receptive to a pardon but did not obtain one for issuing such a limited list that excluded a number of well-known people who testified as part of the investigations.
Many of us went above and beyond to reveal the truth, testified, and met with law enforcement. Relying on this group to limit the target is incredibly dishonest. Think carefully about who you're going to put on that list if you're going to grant pardons," the former witness told CNN.
Fearing for their lives and preparing for purges
According to the former US official on Patel's list, colleagues at the FBI have been revising their resumes since the election in preparation for widespread purges based on who is thought to be associated with the "deep state."
In this particular cohort, ensuring personal security is one of the main considerations.
The assassination attempts against Trump, the hammer attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband, and the attempt on the life of conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh are just a few high-profile instances of people aggressively targeting well-known political figures in recent years.
The former diplomat told CNN, "You have to be legitimately concerned about what isolated, random people, who think they are acting in concert with what Trump wants, will do." "After hearing what Trump says, people act as though they are following his wishes."
Some of those who are afraid of Patel's FBI job are more resigned to what lies ahead and are deliberately maintaining a low profile to avoid being noticed by him.
"There is nowhere for me to go. One source who was closely examined by the Trump-era Justice Department during his first term stated, "There are a lot of people who have nowhere to go."