Worth Knowing, Probably Not Quite Threadworthy 5/13

[SVPete]

MUST WATCH: Kash Patel Gloriously OWNS Chris Van Hollen After His Questioning Backfires

https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/05/12/must-watch-kash-patel-owns-chris-van-hollen-at-senate-hearing-n4952790

There are only two reasons why I even know who Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is.

The first is that ridiculous trip he made to El Salvador to have margaritas with MS-13 gang banger Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

The second is that every time he's a part of a Senate hearing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he says something stupid and Rubio completely owns him.
...
Well, on Tuesday, it was FBI Director Kash Patel's turn. During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Van Hollen, who never has anything of substance to say, resorted to bringing up tabloid rumors from The Atlantic about Patel's "excessive drinking." Here's what he said:

Multiple reports, including reporting by The Atlantic, have alleged episodes of excessive drinking, unexplained absences, and behavior that concern current and former FBI and DOJ officials. You have publicly denied those allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit. So today, as you testify before Congress, is it your testimony that those allegations are categorically false?1.

"Unequivocally, categorically false," Patel replied.

"So there have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you?"1. Van Hollen asked.

Patel responded: "Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. They hear from me at every single hour of the day, as do these great gentlemen here, as do the men and women of the interagency and state and local law enforcement and the White House."

"And so there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you, is that right?" Van Hollen asked again, unhappy he didn't get the answer he wanted.1.

Patel wasn't taking the bait: "Nope. It's a total farce. I don't even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn't make it credible because you say so."
...
"I'm not saying it, uh, Director Patel. I, I... It's been written and documented, and I..." Van Hollen began sputtering.1.

"You are literally saying it," Patel replied without missing a beat.2.

After a bit of back-and-forth, the FBI director turned the tables.

"... the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you," he said, adding, "The only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C. at the Lobby Bar was you. So the only individual in this room that has been drinking on taxpayer dime during the day is you."3.

1. Van Hollen was relying on an unconfirmed, totally denied, annoymorously-sourced report by the NYT or WashPost or The Atlantic (or some other Dem-shill MSM outlet). He thought he could unsettle Kash Patel with the implied threat of being charged with perjury. Patel had the poise of being prepared and speaking the truth. After two tries and being challenged, Van Hollen was the one unsettled, and he blinked.

2. Table-turning, Part 1. Patel turned Van Hollen's weaselly semi-denial back onto Van Hollen.

3. Table-turning, Part 2, Patel called out, with the receipts, Van Hollen's own drinking bouts.

Will Dens ever realize that Trump's officials come prepared with facts, are ready to fight back, and are Hella-smarter than Dem Congress-Critters?

[ADsOutburst]

MUST WATCH: Kash Patel Gloriously OWNS Chris Van Hollen After His Questioning Backfires

https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/05/12/must-watch-kash-patel-owns-chris-van-hollen-at-senate-hearing-n4952790

"Unequivocally, categorically false," Patel replied.

"So there have been no occasions during your tenure when FBI personnel were unable to promptly reach you?"1. Van Hollen asked.

Patel responded: "Absolutely not. You can ask my entire workforce. They hear from me at every single hour of the day, as do these great gentlemen here, as do the men and women of the interagency and state and local law enforcement and the White House."

"And so there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you, is that right?" Van Hollen asked again, unhappy he didn't get the answer he wanted.1.

Patel wasn't taking the bait: "Nope. It's a total farce. I don't even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn't make it credible because you say so."
...
"I'm not saying it, uh, Director Patel. I, I... It's been written and documented, and I..." Van Hollen began sputtering.1.

"You are literally saying it," Patel replied without missing a beat.2.

After a bit of back-and-forth, the FBI director turned the tables.

"... the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you," he said, adding, "The only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C. at the Lobby Bar was you. So the only individual in this room that has been drinking on taxpayer dime during the day is you."3.

1. Van Hollen was relying on an unconfirmed, totally denied, annoymorously-sourced report by the NYT or WashPost or The Atlantic (or some other Dem-shill MSM outlet). He thought he could unsettle Kash Patel with the implied threat of being charged with perjury. Patel had the poise of being prepared and speaking the truth. After two tries and being challenged, Van Hollen was the one unsettled, and he blinked.

2. Table-turning, Part 1. Patel turned Van Hollen's weaselly semi-denial back onto Van Hollen.

3. Table-turning, Part 2, Patel called out, with the receipts, Van Hollen's own drinking bouts.

Will Dens ever realize that Trump's officials come prepared with facts, are ready to fight back, and are Hella-smarter than Dem Congress-Critters?

Seriously?! That performance by Van Hollen was impressively stupid, even for Democrats/media (but I repeat myself).

Van Hollen didn't walk into that one; he staggered drunkenly into it, tripped on a piece of furniture, and went head over heels.

[SVPete]

LA-area billionaire and Eric Swalwell donor Stephen Cloobeck arrested on four felony counts

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/la-area-billionaire-and-eric-swalwell-donor-stephen-cloobeck-arrested-on-four-felony-counts/3889962/

Los Angeles-area billionaire and political donor Stephen Cloobeck has turned himself in to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in connection with an arrest warrant alleging he dissuaded several witnesses, law enforcement tells NBC4 Investigates on Wednesday.

Cloobeck was arrested on a warrant for four felony counts stemming from a case with his fiance, Adva Lavie. He was arrested Tuesday and was released after posting a $300,000 bail.
...
Also known as Mia Ventura, Lavie was charged in March with two counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information; two counts of grand theft; one count of first-degree residential burglary with person present and one count of first-degree residential burglary.

Cloobeck was arrested on a warrant for witness intimidation and is accused of texting and calling multiple of Lavie’s victims.

Cloobeck famously hosted and bankrolled Eric Swalwell at his Beverly Hills mansion coinciding with the campaign implosion of California Congressional Representative and Gubernatorial hopeful Eric Swalwell.

I guess he didn't want his arm candy sent to prison and getting to "know" ...

[DefiantSix]

Will Dens ever realize that Trump's officials come prepared with facts, are ready to fight back, and are Hella-smarter than Dem Congress-Critters?

That's not exactly a tall hurdle to clear. Evel Kineval could jump that in a D-9 Caterpillar.

[SVPete]

Kash Patel Posts Sen. Van Hollen's $7K Bar Tab

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/fbi-kash-patel-van-hollen/2026/05/13/id/1256134/

Following a heated exchange with Maryland Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen during a subcommittee hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a Federal Election Commission filing showing the senator’s campaign spent more than $7,000 at a Washington bar.

The clash erupted Tuesday during a tense Senate budget hearing in which Van Hollen questioned Patel about allegations of excessive drinking and claims that FBI personnel had difficulty reaching him while on duty.
...
The confrontation escalated when Van Hollen repeatedly asked Patel whether he understood that lying to Congress is a crime.

Patel responded: "Maybe the next time you run up a $7,000 bar tab, we can talk about it."

Shortly afterward, Patel posted a copy of the FEC filing on X showing Van Hollen's campaign paid $7,128 to Lobby Bar in Washington on Dec. 12, 2025. The filing listed the expense as "Catering for Event."

Van Hollen later said the expenditure covered a "50-member staff party" and insisted no taxpayer money was involved.

The exchange came after Van Hollen referenced reports from The Atlantic alleging Patel engaged in heavy drinking and unexplained absences while leading the FBI.

Patel has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit related to the reporting.

As a wise Guy said ~2000 years ago:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

[SVPete]

Phone Call Used To Impeach Trump Over GA Election Was Illegally Recorded, Testimony Confirms

https://thefederalist.com/2026/05/12/phone-call-used-to-impeach-trump-over-ga-election-was-illegally-recorded-testimony-confirms/

Newly released depositions in Georgia confirm Federalist reporting that Democrats’ attempt to imprison President Donald Trump for his 2020 election challenge in the state was based on a misinterpreted and illegally recorded phone call.

For years, Democrats and the propaganda press claimed President Donald Trump had asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to steal the election, and further claimed their allegations were supported by a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between the two men. In fact, Trump asked Raffensperger to take seriously the legal challenge that his campaign had made, which cited numerous areas where votes were in question. The call became the foundation for an impeachment effort and for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ since-discredited and dismissed racketeering case against Trump and his allies.

The newly released testimony transcript confirms what The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway reported in 2024: The call wasn’t just misconstrued, it was illegally recorded by Raffensperger’s “second in command.”

Jordan Fuchs — Raffensperger’s deputy chief of staff — admitted under oath that she recorded the call while she was in Florida, a two-party consent state that requires all parties on a call to consent to a recording.

She also admitted leaking the recording to the WashPost. IOW, the illegal recording of the call and the leaking were politically motivated. Lock her up.

[SVPete]

The Story of the Reporter Who Attacked Kash Patel Just Took a Wild Turn

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/05/12/there-is-an-investigation-involving-the-reporter-who-trashed-kash-patel-but-its-not-what-you-think-n2675954

Reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick came after FBI Director Kash Patel hard, alleging he was a derelict and an alcoholic while running the nation’s preeminent law enforcement and domestic intelligence agency. Patel’s lawyers have filed a lawsuit over the story. The piece is riddled with anonymous sources, which is no shock, as this same reporter pushed the hoaxes peddled by Julie Swetnick, who tried to derail the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.

Still, the FBI has a job to do, so when Ms. Fitzpatrick sought their help over threats she was receiving related to the article published in The Atlantic, again, no shock there, this story took a wild and ironic turn. The publication obviously contacted law enforcement, which later referred Ms. Fitzpatrick to the FBI. Fitzpatrick has continued to work, but there has been some inside-the-beltway hubbub over this case since MS Now alleged that the FBI was investigating Fitzpatrick in connection with the article. That was denied. There does appear to be a threat assessment probe involving her, but on something entirely different. The threats lobbed against her happened three days after the Kash Patel hit piece was published in April. ...

The FBI has opened a “threat assessment” case into menacing messages sent to Fitzpatrick — called a “guardian intake” in FBI speak, I’m told by an FBI official who requested anonymity to share details. It did so because the reporter herself contacted the bureau twice.

THE DETAILS — On April 20, Fitzpatrick described the horrifying messages in a call to the FBI. “Your days are numbered,” one read. Another said, “It’ll be your obituary,” according to this FBI official. Fitzpatrick first went to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, which referred her to the FBI, according to a statement The Atlantic gave me tonight.
...
In addition to speaking with her, the FBI was also in communication with MPD to make sure her house didn’t get swatted, I’m told.

On May 5, Fitzpatrick and Atlantic attorney DAVID BAUMGARTEN attended a Zoom meeting with FBI officers, where they shared additional threatening messages she’d received. I’m told Fitzpatrick relayed to the officers that she received calls during the night and had concerns about her family’s safety.

PLOT THICKENS — The irony of the entire situation won’t be lost on those who’ve read Fitzpatrick’s work: A reporter whose coverage the FBI director sued over, now consulting with the FBI about her safety. And an agency making moves to protect a journalist who’s been the bane of its director’s existence.

BS Now (and always) is trying to pretzellate the FBI's investiogation to protect Fitzpatrick into a vendetta-driven investigation OF Fitzpatrick. How very BS Now.