Kash Patel Took ‘VIP Snorkel’ Around Pearl Harbor, Report Says

BreakingBusinessKash Patel Took ‘VIP Snorkel’ Around Pearl Harbor, Report SaysBySara Dorn,Forbes Staff. Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.Follow AuthorMay 14, 2026, 04:45pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ToplineFBI Director Kash Patel snorkeled around Pearl Harbor during a stop in Hawaii after visiting New Zealand on official business, according to the Associated Press—a privilege typically reserved for dignitaries and military and government officials who manage the site—the latest reported incident of Patel mixing official business and leisure.Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Getty ImagesKey FactsPatel participated in the “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona last summer on his way back from official visits in New Zealand and Australia then stayed in Hawaii for two days, according to government emails and flight tracking data for the FBI jet obtained by the Associated Press.He visited the Honolulu field office on his way to those countries, according to the AP.The FBI did not disclose Patel’s second stop in Hawaii in a news release about his visit at the time, and aside from the snorkeling excursion, it’s unclear what he was doing there.The report comes amid heightened scrutiny of Patel’s mixing of personal leisure with official business, allegations of excessive alcohol consumption, use of an FBI jet for personal trips and reports of erratic behavior.Navy admirals and secretaries of defense and interior are among those who have snorkeled at Pearl Harbor, an unnamed former government diver told the AP, noting the excursions are educational in nature.No FBI director since at least 19...