FBI Director Kash Patel said he would take an alcohol screening test after a tense exchange with Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen during a congressional hearing, provided the senator agreed to take the same test alongside him.
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The confrontation unfolded as Van Hollen questioned Patel about reports concerning his conduct, including allegations of excessive drinking. Patel has denied the claims and is pursuing legal action over a report that raised the issue.
Dispute Over Allegations
Van Hollen referenced reporting that suggested Patel’s alcohol use had affected his ability to carry out official duties.
“When your private actions make it impossible for you to perform your public duties, we have a big problem,” the senator said during the hearing. He added that reports alleging episodes of heavy drinking and unexplained absences were “extremely alarming” if accurate.
Van Hollen said the allegations suggested a potential failure of responsibility and could undermine public trust in the leadership of the FBI.
The senator also asked Patel and other law enforcement officials present how they would respond if an employee appeared to have a problem with excessive alcohol use.
“I really don’t care about your personal life so long as you are able to perform your public responsibilities,” Van Hollen said. He cited multiple reports, including one published by The Atlantic, that described concerns raised by current and former officials in the FBI and the Department of Justice.
Patel Rejects Claims
Patel strongly rejected the allegations, calling the reporting “unequivocally, categorically false.” He has filed a defamation lawsuit related to the claims.
During the exchange, Patel countered with accusations of his own, alleging that Van Hollen drank margaritas while on an official trip to El Salvador to meet Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who had been mistakenly deported and imprisoned there at the time.
“The only person who was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar… was you,” Patel said.
Van Hollen dismissed the accusation, saying it was untrue and based on misinformation circulating in some media outlets. He argued that repeating such claims in a congressional hearing was troubling.
“The fact that you mentioned that indicates you don’t know what you are talking about,” Van Hollen said.
Margarita Claim Disputed
Van Hollen has previously addressed the margarita allegation, saying it stemmed from a publicity stunt by El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele.
After returning from the trip in April last year, Van Hollen told reporters that a Salvadoran official placed drinks on the table during the meeting but that neither he nor Abrego Garcia drank them.
“Neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us,” the senator said at the time, adding that the salt around the rim of the glasses remained undisturbed.
Van Hollen said the display appeared designed to create the impression that alcohol had been consumed.
Challenge to Take Alcohol Test
The hearing concluded with a direct challenge from Van Hollen, who asked Patel whether he would take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), a 10-question screening survey that had been proposed by House Judiciary Committee Democrats.
Patel agreed on the condition that Van Hollen also take the test.
“Let’s go,” Patel said. “Side by side.”
Van Hollen accepted the proposal.
Throughout the exchange, Van Hollen repeatedly asked Patel whether he understood that lying to Congress was a crime. Patel responded each time that he had not committed perjury during the hearing.
The confrontation highlighted rising tensions between the FBI director and some Democratic lawmakers over allegations about his conduct and leadership.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 13 May 2026
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