Patel defends FBI's relaxing of employment standards concerning past bestiality, prostitution

FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday defended the bureau's relaxing of hiring requirements concerning past incidents of prostitution and bestiality, arguing that the changes were intended to enable victims of those acts to apply for employment without worrying they'd be automatically disqualified. 

The FBI issued guidance this past spring lifting categorical bans on applicants who had engaged in prostitution in the past, and said it would consider these acts in the context of the behavior, at least in some cases, the Associated Press reported. 

A similar change was made to hiring policies regarding bestiality. 

In a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Patel denied the change signaled a lower of employment standards and argued they were designed to protect victims who had been forced to engage in the conduct, which would have previously precluded them from consideration for employment. 

“We did not want to punish victims of bestiality, victims who were trafficked. We did not want to make it an automatic disqualification for the FBI to consider you,” Patel said.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., continued to press Patel about the rationale for the change, which Patel said was proposed by one of his subordinates. 

“When you saw bestiality, I say this with respect: The person who recommended it, why didn’t you just say what planet did you parachute in from?” Kennedy asked.

Patel said that he was persuaded by the rationale for the change.