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PETA condemns FBI Director Patel over hiring rule change removing automatic disqualification for bestiality
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The New Republic reports that PETA has condemned FBI Director Kash Patel for a new hiring policy that removes automatic disqualification for applicants who engaged in bestiality or animal cruelty before age 18. The policy, quietly issued in a June memo, also applies to hiring sex workers and theft from employers. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Patel argued the change was intended not to punish victims of bestiality who were trafficked, a claim PETA president Ingrid Newkirk called 'unconscionable and unacceptable.' Republican Senator John Kennedy expressed confusion, asking Patel if the rule disqualified the animal. The article characterizes the FBI under Patel as chaotic and the policy as making the agency a joke or dignifying the worst human behavior.
Source report
PETA Condemns FBI Director Kash Patel Over Bestiality Hiring Policy
The world's largest animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), has expressed horror over FBI Director Kash Patel's decision to ease hiring restrictions for applicants who have engaged in bestiality.
Following a contentious exchange between Patel and senators during a Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, PETA co-founder and president Ingrid Newkirk issued a strong condemnation.
"No one in America supports humans having sex with animals, and to think an FBI agent might be such a cruel pervert is unconscionable and unacceptable," Newkirk said in a statement obtained by MediasTouch. "Director Patel must immediately cancel this abominable misstep. It cannot happen."
Background on the Policy Change
The new FBI hiring standards were outlined in a memo quietly issued by the bureau in June. Under the revised rules, applicants who had previously:
- Hired sex workers
- Stolen from employers
- Engaged in bestiality and animal cruelty (provided it occurred before the applicant turned 18)
...are no longer automatically disqualified from becoming federal agents.
Patel's Defense
During the hearing, Patel attempted to explain the policy to Senator Dick Durbin, stating: "What we did was, we did not want to punish victims of bestiality—victims who were trafficked."
He added: "Applicants who have engaged in bestiality means they were victims of bestiality because they were forced to do so. And at this FBI, we are not going to criminalize and prevent victims from serving the United States of America and the premier law enforcement agency in the world."
Bipartisan Confusion
Even Republican senators expressed bewilderment. Senator John Kennedy pressed Patel on the issue:
- Kennedy: "What about the bestiality?"
- Patel: "It automatically disqualified any individual who participated on either side of it."
- Kennedy: "Either side of what, the bestiality?"
- Patel: "Yes."
- Kennedy: "So you disqualified the animal?"
Critics argue that the FBI under Patel—a Donald Trump ally—has descended into chaos. At best, the new policies make the FBI a laughingstock; at worst, they suggest the agency is prepared to elevate and dignify the worst of human behavior.
Read more: Kash Patel Twists Himself in Knots on FBI Hires and Bestiality
Senator John Fetterman Meets with Fox News Executives at Murdoch Ranch
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania—a Democrat—met with Fox News executives at a retreat in Montana two months ago, according to a report from the conservative publication The Washington Examiner.
Details of the Meeting
The Murdoch family, which owns Fox News, invited Fetterman to their Montana ranch alongside other network leaders. During the event, Fetterman participated in a panel focused on social media, joined by Republican Senator Katie Britt.
"I was invited to go there," Fetterman told the Washington Examiner, adding that he is happy to speak with anyone who wants to have "conversations in a straight way."
A Pattern of Conservative-Leaning Moves
This meeting is the latest in a series of actions that have drawn Fetterman closer to the right. Since entering the Senate with progressive credentials as the former mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Fetterman has:
- Voted to confirm many of President Trump's appointees
- Taken a hard-line stance supporting Israel
- Broken with his party on immigration and the Iran war
Mixed Reactions
Last week, Fetterman drew praise from the MAGA right after appearing in a video message at the Republican midterm convention. In the video, he supported Pennsylvania's other senator, Republican Dave McCormick, and praised Trump's assistance to the state's steel industry.
To Democrats, however, the moves represent Fetterman blowing off the constituents who elected him, in an effort to curry favor with the right.
Fetterman continues to insist that he remains a Democrat and has no plans to switch parties.
Source
The New RepublicWestern
Part of this Story
FBI Director Patel defends policy change removing bestiality disqualification for applicants