FBI insiders told MS Now that Kash Patel was padding arrest statistics to boost his record.
Posted by All In with Chris Hayes, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 80%
All In with Chris HayesSep 19, 2026
MS NOW reported in May 2026 that current and former FBI insiders said Patel was padding arrest statistics to boost his record, and secondary outlets and a senator's letter confirm that reporting.
The host relays this claim without endorsing it. It counts as passed on, not against the post.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… As Americans face real hardships under his reign. And, you know, it's not clear what exactly set off this latest tantrum by Donald Trump. Was he upset, perhaps? The FBI insiders told MS NOw that Cash Patel was, quote, padding the stats to boost his record of arrests. Maybe, just maybe, it was because military families told us about suicidal sailors. And Iranian missile strikes on u.s. bases that the government has not reported? Or could it have been today's scoop that? …
All In with Chris Hayes · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. MS NOW's own report is headlined 'FBI insiders: Kash Patel is padding the stats to boost his record of arrests,' matching the claim's wording and attribution.[3]
Supports. Mediaite and The Daily Beast both report that MS NOW's report cited law enforcement sources, including FBI insiders, saying Patel inflated arrest statistics to boost his record.[4][5]
Supports. Senator Blumenthal's May 18, 2026 letter to the DOJ Inspector General refers to MS NOW's reporting that Patel artificially inflated arrest statistics, confirming the report existed as of that date.[1]
Supports. Raw Story quotes a current FBI official telling MS NOW that the FBI is 'absolutely padding the stats,' directly reflecting the insider attribution.[2]
Context. The FBI spokesperson disputed that arrests were being counted improperly, so the substance of the insiders' allegation remains contested in the sources.[3]
Context. The reporting dates from May 2026, before the claim's September 19, 2026 date; the sources do not show the attribution changing, so the claim holds as of that date.[1][3]
Sources
5 sources: 1 primary, 1 tier 3, 3 not rated
- 1[PDF] 1 May 18, 2026 The Honorable William Blier Deputy Inspector ...blumenthal.senate.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 2FBI chief Kash Patel 'padding the stats' to make himself look ...rawstory.com · tier 3 · cited for: supports
- 3FBI insiders: Kash Patel is ‘padding the stats’ to boost his ...ms.now · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 4Kash Patel Accused of Inflating FBI Arrest Stats Big Timemediaite.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Keystone Kash Called Out for Juicing Arrest Numbers in Stunning Leakthedailybeast.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post