Army Secretary Driscoll replaces Kash Patel as interim ATF director: Report
Patel was first tapped as the interim head of the ATF in February, shortly after he was sworn in as the leader of the FBI.
FBI Director Kash Patel has been replaced as the interim Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) director by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, sources told multiple news agencies Wednesday.
Patel was first tapped as the interim lead of the ATF in February, shortly after he was sworn in as the leader of the FBI.
The Trump administration reportedly decided to remove Patel as interim ATF director in late February because they believed the responsibility of running two federal law enforcement agencies would be too time-consuming for Patel, the New York Times reported.
The move is unusual because it places a civilian military leader in charge of a law enforcement agency. Driscoll was chosen because he was one of the Senate confirmed appointees available, sources told the outlet. A Defense Department official has also confirmed the change to the New York Times.
It is not clear when the change took effect, but officials said Driscoll was notified of his new responsibility in the past week.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.