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The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump‘s bidding and go after the Republican president’s adversaries. I cannot imagine a worse choice,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told colleagues before the 51-49 vote by the GOP-controlled Senate. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the lone Republican holdouts. A Trump loyalist who has fiercely criticized the agency, Patel will inherit an FBI gripped by turmoil as the Justice Department over the past month has forced out a group of senior bureau officials and made a highly unusual demand for the names of thousands of agents who participated in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Patel has spoken of his desire to implement major changes at the FBI, including a reduced footprint at headquarters in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau’s traditional crime-fighting duties rather than the intelligence-gathering and national security work that has come to define its mandate over the past two decades. But he also echoed Trump’s desire for retribution. Patel raised alarm among Democrats for saying before he was nominated that he would come after anti-Trump conspirators in the federal government and the media. Republicans angry over what they see as law enforcement bias against conservatives during the Democratic Biden administration, as well as criminal investigations into Trump, have rallied behind Patel as the right person for the job. Mr. Patel wants to make the FBI accountable once again - get back the reputation that the FBI has had historically for law enforcement, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said before Patel was confirmed. He wants to hold the FBI accountable to Congress, to the president and, most importantly, to the people they serve the American taxpayer. Democrats complained about Patel’s lack of management experience compared with previous FBI directors and they highlighted incendiary past statements that they said called his judgment into question. I am absolutely sure of this one thing: this vote will haunt anyone who votes for him. They will rue the day they did it, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat. He added: To my Republican colleagues, think about what you will tell your constituents and family about why you became voted for this person who will so completely and utterly disgrace this office and do such grave damage to our nations justice system. About a half-dozen Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee gathered outside FBI headquarters earlier Thursday in a last-ditch plea to derail his confirmation. This is someone we cannot trust, said Sen. Adam Schiff of California. This is someone who lacks the character to do this job, someone who lacks the integrity to do this job. We know that, our Republican colleagues know that.” Patel’s eyebrow-raising remarks on hundreds of podcasts and in other interviews over the past four years include referring to law enforcement officials who investigated Trump as criminal gangsters,” saying some Jan. 6 rioters were political prisoners and proposing to shut down the FBI headquarters and turning it into a museum for the so-called deep state. At his Senate hearing in January, Patel said Democrats were taking some of his comments out of context or misunderstanding the broader point that he was trying to make. Patel has also denied the idea that a list in book he authored of government officials who he said were part of a deep state amounted to an enemies list, calling that a total mischaracterization. FBI directors are given 10-year terms as a way to insulate them from political influence and keep them from becoming beholden to a particular president or administration. Patel was selected in November to replace Christopher Wray, who was picked by Trump in 2017 and served for more than seven years but who repeatedly angered the president and was seen by him as insufficiently loyal. He resigned before Trump took office. Since Wray’s resignation, the FBI has been led by interim leaders, who have clashed with the Justice Department over its demands for details about the agents who investigated the Capitol riot a move seen as a possible prelude to broader firings. Patel denied having any knowledge of discussions about potential firings, but a letter from Durbin last week that cited information that he said had come from insiders suggested that Patel may have been covertly involved in that process. Trump has said that he expects some of those agents will be fired. Patel is a former federal defender and Justice Department counterterrorism prosecutor. He attracted Trumps attention during the president’s first term when, as a staffer on the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee, Patel helped write a memo with pointed criticism of the FBIs investigation into ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 campaign. Patel later joined Trumps administration, both as a counterterrorism official at the National Security Council and as chief of staff to the defense secretary. Eric Tucker, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Sycamore Partners are among the bidders who are competing to acquire Family Dollar, a discount retail chain operated by Dollar Tree, according to people familiar with the matter. Investment firm Brigade Capital Management has also expressed interest in buying Family Dollar, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential. A deal for Family Dollar, which could value the retailer at several billion dollars, is not imminent, the sources said, cautioning that Dollar Tree could choose not to sell the business. It is also possible that a different suitor for Family Dollar could emerge, the sources added. Shares of Dollar Tree, which has a market value of about $16.5 billion, jumped more than 5% on the news on Thursday, before paring some gains. Dollar Tree did not respond to a request for comment. Apollo, Brigade and Sycamore declined to comment. Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree has been working with investment bankers at JPMorgan Chase to explore options, including a potential sale or spinoff, for Family Dollar since June last year. The move marked a reversal for Dollar Tree, which acquired Family Dollar in 2015 for about $9 billion after outbidding its biggest rival Dollar General. Since the takeover, Family Dollar has struggled with its performance and its growth has stalled as the discount retailer has been unable to attract new customers. Its performance has lagged larger retailers such as Walmart and Target, as consumers cut back on discretionary spending due to high inflation. As of November 2, Dollar Tree operated 16,590 stores across 48 states and five provinces in Canada under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada. Family Dollar generated roughly $13.7 billion of net revenue in the last 12 months, according to Reuters calculations. Sycamore, which has raised about $10 billion in aggregate committed capital, is an experienced retail investor that owns retailers like Staples, Loft, Ann Taylor, Talbots and Belk. In recent months, Sycamore has also been attempting to pull off a takeover of pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance. Apollo Global Management, which had about $70 billion of assets under management under its private equity strategy as of December 31, has acquired and invested in retailers including Michaels and PetSmart. Brigade Capital manages around $27 billion of assets and is primarily known as a credit investor. Last year, Brigade partnered with investment firm Arkhouse Management in its failed attempt to acquire department store Macy’s. Abigail Summerville, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday that he wont seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday to share his decision not to run for another term in Kentucky and to retire when his current term ends. He informed The Associated Press of his decision before he addressed colleagues in a speech on the Senate floor. Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate, McConnell said, as aides lined the back chamber and senators listened from seats. Every day in between Ive been humbled by the trust theyve placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last. His announcement begins the epilogue of a storied career as a master strategist, one in which he helped forge a conservative Supreme Court and steered the Senate through tax cuts, presidential impeachment trials and fierce political fights. Yet with his powerful perch atop committees, and nearly two years remaining in his term, McConnell vowed to complete his work on several remaining fronts. I have some unfinished business to attend to, he said. McConnell walked gingerly to the podium, sporting a walking boot. Senators from both sides of the political aisle seemed to listen most intently as he told them that while there are any number of reasons for pessimism, the strength of the Senate is not one of them. The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence, he told them. As he concluded, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., motioned for the audience of senators, staff and Capitol visitors be allowed to applaud, which is usually not allowed under Senate rules. Republican senators then lined up to greet McConnell, beginning with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who hugged him, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who patted him on the back. He took out a tissue and made a joke, prompting the group to laugh. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota gave him a warm handshake, and a dozen others senators soon did so as well. Sen. Lindsey Graham said McConnell reshaped the American judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. He has a lot to be proud of, and I am sure he will work hard to the very end of his term, Graham said. McConnell, first elected in 1984, intends to serve until his term ends in January 2027. The Kentuckian has dealt with a series of medical episodes in recent years, including injuries sustained from falls and times when his face briefly froze while he was speaking. The famously taciturn McConnell revered the Senate as a young intern long before joining its back benches as a freshman lawmaker in the mid-1980s. His dramatic announcement comes almost a year after his decision to relinquish his leadership post after the November 2024 election. McConnell’s looming departure reflects the changing dynamics of the Trump-led GOP. He’s seen his power diminish on a parallel track with both his health and his relationship with Trump, who once praised him as an ally but has taken to criticizing him in caustic terms. In Kentucky, McConnell’s departure will mark the loss of a powerful advocate and will set off a competitive GOP primary next year for what will now be an open Senate seat. Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, seen as a rising star in his party for winning statewide office in Republican territory, has said he has no interest in the Senate. Beshear’s chief political strategist, Eric Hyers, reiterated that stance Thursday, posting on X: He is not running for the Senate. Beshear is widely seen as a potential candidate for the White House in 2028. Kentucky Republicans considering the race for McConnell’s seat quickly weighed in with reaction. U.S. Rep. Andy Barr said he would make a decision soon about his future. Former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron seemed to tip his hand, posting on X: Kentucky, its time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Lets do this. Another looming GOP candidate is businessman Nate Morris. One common denominator among them their professed loyalty to Trump and his agenda. McConnell, a diehard adherent to Ronald Reagans brand of traditional conservatism and muscular foreign policy, increasingly found himself out of step with a GOP shifting toward the fiery, often isolationist populism espoused by Trump. McConnell still champions providing Ukraine with weapons and other aid to fend off Russias invasion, even as Trump ratchets up criticism of the country and its leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The senator made it clear Thursday that national defense remains at the forefront of his agenda. He and Trump were partners during Trump’s first term, but the relationship was severed after McConnell blamed Trump for disgraceful acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by his supporters. A momentary thaw in 2024 when McConnell endorsed Trump didn’t last. Last week, Trump referred to McConnell as a “very bitter guy after McConnell, who battled polio as a child, opposed vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s confirmation as the nations top health official. McConnell referred to Trump as a despicable human being and a narcissist in a biography of the senator by The Associated Press’ deputy Washington bureau chief, Michael Tackett. Before their falling out, Trump and McConnell pushed through a tax overhaul largely focused on reductions for businesses and higher-earning taxpayers. They joined forces to reshape the Supreme Court when Trump nominated three justices and McConnell guided them to Senate confirmation, tilting the high court to the right. McConnell set a preceent for hardball partisan tactics in 2016 by refusing to even give a hearing to Democratic President Barack Obamas pick of Merrick Garland to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Putting the brakes on the Senate’s advise and consent role for judicial nominees, McConnell said the vacancy should be filled by the next president so voters could have their say. Trump filled the vacancy once he took office, and McConnell later called the stonewalling of Garland’s nomination his most consequential achievement. Later, when liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died weeks before the 2020 presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden, McConnell rushed Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation through the Senate, waving off allegations of hypocrisy. McConnell also guided the Senate and Trump through two impeachment trials that ended in acquittals. In the second impeachment, weeks after the deadly Capitol attack by a mob hoping to overturn Trumps 2020 reelection defeat, McConnell joined all but seven Republicans in voting to acquit. McConnell said he believed Trump couldnt be convicted because hed already left office, but the senator also condemned Trump as practically and morally responsible for the insurrection. McConnell over the years swung back and forth from majority to minority leader, depending on which party held power. He defended President George W. Bushs handling of the Iraq war and failed to block Obamas health care overhaul. McConnell, the longest-serving senator ever from Kentucky, ensured that the Bluegrass State received plenty of federal funding. Back home he was a key architect in his party’s rise to power in a state long dominated by Democrats. He is married to Elaine Chao, and they have long been a power couple in Washington. The senator referred to her as his ultimate teammate and confidante. Chao was labor secretary for Bush and transportation secretary during Trump’s first term, though she resigned after the Capitol insurrection, saying it had deeply troubled her. Bruce Schreiner and Kevin Freking, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
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