FBI Director Kash Patel has forced out a senior aviation official in what sources describe as a retaliatory firing connected to media reports revealing he used government aircraft to attend his girlfriend’s performance at a Pennsylvania wrestling event.
Steven Palmer, a 27-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was told to immediately resign or face termination on Friday, according to three people familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously due to fears of retaliation.
His removal marks the third leader of the critical incident response group to exit under Patel’s tenure, adding to what insiders characterize as a year marked by vengeful dismissals.
The firing came shortly after social media posts and news coverage highlighted Patel’s travel to State College, Pennsylvania, where his girlfriend, country music artist Alexis Wilkins, sang the national anthem at a wrestling match.
Flight tracking data showed an FBI jet arriving at the local airport on October 25, remaining for several hours, then departing for Nashville—Wilkins’s home base—before continuing to Texas the following morning.
Patel himself shared photographs on social media platform X showing him with Wilkins at the event, wearing an FBI-branded hoodie. The images, along with publicly accessible flight logs, triggered widespread criticism about the use of taxpayer resources for what appeared to be personal travel.
According to sources close to the matter, Patel became enraged by the negative media attention and blamed Palmer for the revelations becoming public. However, those familiar with the circumstances expressed confusion about why Palmer would be held responsible, noting that the director’s flight schedule was readily available through commercial online tracking services and that Patel voluntarily shared his attendance at the event on his own social media accounts.
Palmer’s role as head of the critical incident response group included oversight of FBI aviation units, but he had no control over publicly accessible flight tracking technology or Patel’s personal social media activity. The individuals who spoke about the dismissal said they were baffled by the apparent logic behind holding Palmer accountable.
While FBI directors are required to use government aircraft for both official and personal travel to maintain secure communications capabilities, the optics of this particular trip have proven problematic for Patel.
The controversy carries particular irony given his previous criticism of former FBI Director Christopher Wray for personal travel on taxpayer-funded jets. In 2023, Patel posted on Truth Social accusing Wray of “jetting off on taxpayer dollars” and used the hashtag “#GovernmentGangster.”
Patel’s spokesman, Ben Williamson, shared a statement on social media calling articles and criticism of the director’s travel “disingenuous and dumb” and “bad faith whining.” The statement emphasized that Patel follows regulations requiring reimbursement for personal travel and has reduced costs by using government airfields more frequently than his predecessors.
Under current policy, FBI directors must reimburse only the equivalent of a commercial economy ticket for personal journeys, which between State College and Nashville costs approximately $250. Taxpayers cover the remaining operational expenses for the multi-million dollar aircraft, including fuel, crew, and landing fees.
Palmer’s departure continues a pattern of instability within the critical incident response group since Patel assumed leadership. He had stepped into the acting chief position in August after his predecessor, Brian Driscoll, was fired.
Driscoll is now among several ousted FBI officials suing the administration, alleging they were targeted for insufficient loyalty to the president. Before Driscoll, Wes Wheeler led the group until being told to resign in March alongside numerous other headquarters and Quantico leadership figures.
Palmer joined the FBI as a special agent in 1998 and advanced through supervisory positions, including assistant special agent in charge in Portland, Oregon, before taking on senior roles within the critical incident response group at the FBI’s Quantico, Virginia campus.
The position Palmer vacated carries enormous responsibility, with oversight of thousands of agents and analysts specialized in handling the nation’s most dangerous threats.
The FBI declined to respond to requests for comment. Palmer also declined to comment on his departure.
