There’s a myriad of things that the bureau has done in recent years that we would have never, ever have done,’ says one top agent, now retired.

T he Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has enormous power to investigate crime. Leading the agency requires judgment, restraint, and, above all, fidelity to the rule of law over loyalty to any individual. On this, Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, falls short.