FBI’s Kash Patel defends hiring policy change on bestiality, prostitution

Policy change sparks heated Senate debate; critics question its timing amid challenges in attracting new FBI agents.

x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info US FBI Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI oversight on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, September 15, 2026 [Roberto Schmidt/AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 15 Sep 2026 15 Sep 2026 United States FBI Director Kash Patel has defended the bureau’s loosening of hiring requirements regarding prostitution and bestiality, saying the changes were meant to enable victims of those acts to apply for employment without fear of automatic disqualification.