Alexis Wilkins, girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, is now under federal protection from an elite FBI SWAT security detail amid ongoing fallout from her $5 million defamation suit against RiftTV’s Elijah Schaffer and others.

A recent disclosure that Wilkins is receiving FBI resources for her personal protection has sparked a fresh wave of controversy. Both law enforcement insiders and critics are now questioning whether the FBI’s assets are being misappropriated, especially during a period marked by increased national security threats and staffing shortages within the bureau.

According to a report by MS NOW, the 27-year-old Wilkins began receiving a specialized FBI security detail following “hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel.”

Wilkins, a performer based in Nashville, does not cohabit with Patel and frequently travels separately due to her music career. This situation marks a departure from traditional practices, where only spouses, under specific and narrowly defined conditions, received such security measures. Multiple former and current officials have described Wilkins’ case as unique in this context.

Officials expressed concern that assigning SWAT agents to personal security for Wilkins could delay or prevent the FBI from responding to urgent crises like mass shootings or terror threats in the Nashville area.

“There is no legitimate justification for this. This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,” said Christopher O’Leary, a former senior FBI agent, citing Wilkins’ non-spousal status and lack of shared residence with Patel.

O’Leary also noted that the move comes after federal security details were stripped from other high-profile figures under threat, questioning why Wilkins warranted such protection.​

The growing scrutiny comes as Patel also faces criticism for reportedly flying the FBI’s $60 million government jet to Wilkins’ recent national anthem performance at a Pennsylvania wrestling event—an episode thrust into the spotlight by whistleblower Kyle Seraphin and confirmed by flight logs.

Patel, who famously slammed his predecessor Christopher Wray for similar private jet use, now cites bureau policy mandating that directors use government aircraft for security reasons.​

This security revelation arrives on the heels of Wilkins’ high-profile legal campaign. Alongside defamation claims against Schaffer for allegedly amplifying rumors she is a “Mossad honeypot,” Wilkins is pursuing similar suits against former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin and ex-Senate candidate Sam Parker. Wilkins’ filings claim these rumors—circulated widely among conservative influencers—have jeopardized her safety and damaged her reputation.​

As new federal court hearings near and public debate intensifies, critics warn that the deployment of FBI resources for a top lawman’s girlfriend risks further eroding public trust.