FBI defends Kash Patel after report alleging he gifts custom whiskey bottles
www.theguardian.com

... The FBI said that agency director Kash Patel "followed all applicable ethical guidelines" after a report in the Atlantic alleged that he distributed customized bourbon whiskey bottles as gifts.

In an article published on Wednesday, the Atlantic described Patel as travelling with a stock of "personalized branded bourbon" that he allegedly hands out frequently to people around him. ...

Ben Williamson, the FBI's assistant director, said in a statement to the Guardian: "The Atlantic's premise is false and misleading. The bottles in question are part of a common practice in the FBI that started well over a decade ago, long before Director Patel arrived.

"Senior Bureau officials have long exchanged commemorative items in formal gift settings consistent with ethics rules. Director Patel has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself," the statement added. ...