Kash Patel, the nominee for FBI director under President Donald Trump, received $25,000 last year from Global Tree Pictures, a Los Angeles-based film company owned by Igor Lopatonok, a Russian-born US citizen known for producing pro-Kremlin content. The payment, disclosed in Patel’s financial records submitted for his nomination, coincided with his participation in a documentary alleging a conspiracy against Trump’s administration.
Documents obtained by a US-based news outlet indicate that Lopatonok has a history of involvement in Russian influence campaigns. His past projects include a 2019 documentary, “Revealing Ukraine,” which aligned with Kremlin narratives. He has also proposed media initiatives to halt Western financial and military support for Ukraine.
The documentary featuring Patel, titled “All the President’s Men: The Conspiracy Against Trump,” aired in November on Tucker Carlson’s online network.
In one segment, Patel said his intention to repurpose the FBI headquarters into a museum about the “deep state.” His payment for participating in the documentary was listed as an “honorarium” in his financial disclosure to the US Office of Government Ethics.
Erica Knight, Patel’s spokesperson, said he had fully complied with financial disclosure requirements and undergone extensive scrutiny during the confirmation process.
A spokesperson for Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that Patel’s financial disclosures had been reviewed and approved by the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Justice.
The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a planned vote on Patel’s nomination following objections from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Dick Durbin called for additional questioning regarding Patel’s potential conflicts of interest and his role in the removal of Justice Department and FBI officials involved in January 6 investigations.
If confirmed, Patel would assume leadership of an agency responsible for countering Russian espionage. His nomination comes amid concerns over Trump’s stance on Russia and Ukraine, including indications that his administration might ease enforcement of sanctions on Russian entities.
Patel’s financial records also detail consulting work for Trump’s media company, the Qatari Embassy, and his involvement in various business interests. While he pledged to divest from certain holdings, he would retain income from book royalties and stocks in a Cayman Islands-based firm.
Lopatonok has faced allegations of financial misconduct and maintains ties to Russia’s state media sector. His Moscow-based company, Global 3 Pictures, has connections to VTB, a Russian state-owned bank under US sanctions.
Tucker Carlson, whose platform aired the documentary, stated that his network only distributed the series and had no financial involvement with Patel. Financial records from Giuliani’s bankruptcy filings show that Lopatonok’s company also paid Rudy Giuliani $100,000 for his participation in the series. A spokesperson for Giuliani did not comment.
Patel, previously a House Intelligence Committee staffer, played a key role in challenging investigations into Trump’s links with Russia.
In the documentary, he criticised US intelligence reports on Russian interference in the 2016 election and suggested that Russia was not a primary adversary of the United States, instead naming Iran and drug cartels as greater threats.
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