Raskin and Himes urge Kash Patel to call off a reported Russia trip; MS NOW corrects a report that he had landed there
Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes urged FBI Director Kash Patel to cancel a reported FSB-hosted trip to Russia. MS NOW then reported he had landed there and corrected the report after the FBI showed him in Virginia.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
POLITICO reported in July 2026 that FBI Director Kash Patel planned to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg on October 14 and 15, likely hosted by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). On October 9, Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes, the top Democrats on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, released a letter asking Patel to call off the trip, citing the FSB's record of espionage against U.S. officials. On October 14, MS NOW reported that Patel had landed in Russia. The FBI posted video of Patel at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and MS NOW corrected its report on air that afternoon, saying the timing of any potential trip remains unclear.
Read the full background
POLITICO reported that Robert Mueller, in 2013, was the last FBI director known to have visited Russia. It described Patel's plans as tentative and subject to change, and said the FBI and the Justice Department did not respond to its requests for comment.
The Raskin and Himes letter cites reporting that Patel is leading an effort to build closer ties between the FBI and Russian and Chinese law enforcement agencies. It also cites the $25,000 Patel was paid for taking part in a documentary made by a filmmaker the letter calls a known Kremlin ally. If Patel goes ahead with the trip, the letter asks for a closed-door briefing by October 12 that covers his itinerary, the people he would meet and anyone traveling with him.
On October 13, Raskin said on MS NOW that Patel "may have decided to call it off," according to Newsweek. The next day, MS NOW anchor Peter Alexander reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Patel had landed in Russia for a scheduled meeting. According to Newsweek, Rep. John McGuire, a Virginia Republican, said he hosted Patel that day at a roundtable in Lynchburg with local law enforcement and Liberty University law students. Correspondent Ken Dilanian then said on air that Patel did not land in Russia and remains in the U.S., and that the FBI had not answered MS NOW's questions.
People in this case
Kash PatelDirectly involved
Jamie RaskinDirectly involved
Jim HimesDirectly involved
Timeline
6 timeline entries on this page. Dates: July 20, 2026 to October 14, 2026
July 2026
POLITICO reports Patel plans an FSB-hosted trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg
Claim
POLITICO reports, citing a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plans, that Patel is scheduled to visit Russia on October 14 and 15, with the FSB likely to host him. It calls the plans tentative.
[01]Politico
POLITICO report, citing a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plans, that Patel was scheduled to visit Moscow and then St. Petersburg on October 14 and 15, 2026, likely hosted by the FSB. It says the plans were tentative and that the FBI and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip · PoliticoFull article
October 2026
Raskin and Himes release a letter asking Patel to call off the trip
Reaction
House Intelligence Committee Democrats release a letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes, dated October 5, asking Patel to cancel the trip and, if he goes ahead, to give a closed-door briefing by October 12.
[02]Jim Himes
Press release issued October 9, 2026, by House Intelligence Committee Democrats announcing the Raskin and Himes letter to Patel. It quotes the letter's call to cancel the trip and summarizes the lawmakers' concerns about the FSB and about FBI cooperation with Russian and Chinese law enforcement.
[03]Jamie Raskin
Five-page letter dated October 5, 2026, from the ranking Democrats on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. It asks Patel to cancel a reported two-day trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg that Russia's Federal Security Service would host, and, if he goes ahead, to give a closed-door briefing by October 12 on the trip and on FBI cooperation with Russian and Chinese law enforcement.
Letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes to FBI Director Kash Patel about his reported Russia trip · Jamie RaskinFull letter, pages 1-5Raskin says Patel may have called off the trip
Reaction
In an interview on MS NOW, Raskin says Patel may have decided to call off the trip and that its purpose was never disclosed, according to Newsweek.
[04]Newsweek
Newsweek report published October 14, 2026, on MS NOW's retraction of its report that Patel had landed in Russia. It quotes the FBI Rapid Response account, Ken Dilanian's correction, Patel's post on X, the Raskin and Himes letter, and Raskin's remark on MS NOW the day before that Patel may have called off the trip.
Photos Show Kash Patel at Virginia Event After False Report He's in Russia · NewsweekFull articleMS NOW reports that Patel has landed in Russia
Claim
MS NOW anchor Peter Alexander reports, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Patel has landed in Russia for a scheduled meeting. Correspondent Ken Dilanian says his FBI sources are concerned about the trip, given that the FSB would be a potential host.
[05]The National News Desk
The National News Desk report on MS NOW's October 14, 2026, on-air report that Patel had landed in Russia, the FBI Rapid Response post showing him at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, Ken Dilanian's on-air correction later that day and Patel's posts about the report.
MS NOW issues correction after FBI disputes reporting of Kash Patel visiting Russia · The National News DeskFull articleFBI posts video of Patel at Liberty University in Virginia
Reaction
The FBI's Rapid Response account posts the MS NOW segment next to video of Patel at a law enforcement appreciation event at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
[06]Federal Bureau of Investigation
Post by the FBI's Rapid Response account on X, with video of the MS NOW segment reporting that Patel had landed in Russia next to video of Patel at a law enforcement appreciation event at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) post: "MS Now's 'sources' are 'familiar' with NOTHING!" · Federal Bureau of InvestigationFull postMS NOW corrects its report on air
Correction
Dilanian says on air, just before 2 p.m. Eastern time, that Patel did not land in Russia and remains in the U.S., that the FBI had not answered MS NOW's questions, and that the timing of any potential trip remains unclear.
[04]Newsweek
Newsweek report published October 14, 2026, on MS NOW's retraction of its report that Patel had landed in Russia. It quotes the FBI Rapid Response account, Ken Dilanian's correction, Patel's post on X, the Raskin and Himes letter, and Raskin's remark on MS NOW the day before that Patel may have called off the trip.
Photos Show Kash Patel at Virginia Event After False Report He's in Russia · NewsweekFull article[05]The National News Desk
The National News Desk report on MS NOW's October 14, 2026, on-air report that Patel had landed in Russia, the FBI Rapid Response post showing him at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, Ken Dilanian's on-air correction later that day and Patel's posts about the report.
MS NOW issues correction after FBI disputes reporting of Kash Patel visiting Russia · The National News DeskFull article
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Politico
FBI Director Kash Patel is scheduled to visit Russia on October 14 and 15, 2026, first stopping in Moscow and then St. Petersburg, with the FSB likely to host him.
What is disputed
POLITICO cited a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plans and called them tentative and subject to change. The FBI and the Justice Department did not respond to POLITICO, and Raskin said on October 13 that Patel may have called the trip off.
Sources (2)
- FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip · PoliticoFull article
- Letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes to FBI Director Kash Patel about his reported Russia trip · Jamie RaskinFull letter, pages 1-5
Disputed claim
MS NOW
Kash Patel landed in Russia on October 14, 2026, for a meeting scheduled to take place there.
What is disputed
The FBI and Patel said he was at a law enforcement event at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, that day. MS NOW corrected the report on air the same afternoon, saying Patel did not land in Russia and remains in the U.S.
Sources (2)
- MS NOW issues correction after FBI disputes reporting of Kash Patel visiting Russia · The National News DeskFull article
- Photos Show Kash Patel at Virginia Event After False Report He's in Russia · NewsweekFull article
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
4 responses. Newest first.
Kash PatelDirector of the FBIDirectly involvedBefore this statement
The FBI's Rapid Response account had shared images of Patel at Liberty University alongside the MS NOW report that he had landed in Russia.
"MS NOW just reported I had "landed in Russia" for meetings with the FSB. The same outlet constantly tells lies about this FBI and law enforcement's historic achievements in safeguarding the American people."
DeniedResponding to: Kash Patel landed in Russia on October 14, 2026, for a meeting scheduled to take place there.
Full statement and sources
Patel says MS NOW reported he had landed in Russia for meetings with the FSB, accuses the outlet of telling lies about the FBI and says it owes an apology.
After the statement
The post lists FBI figures, including more than 53,969 violent crime arrests, and says MS NOW owes an apology to the FBI, to the men and women of law enforcement and to the American people.
Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) post: "MS NOW just reported I had 'landed in Russia'" · Kash PatelFull postPhotos Show Kash Patel at Virginia Event After False Report He's in Russia · NewsweekFull articleWhy this label?
MS NOW reported that Patel had landed in Russia. Patel calls the outlet's reporting lies and says it owes an apology, rejecting the report, so we used denies.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation, Rapid Response account on XDirectly involvedBefore this statement
MS NOW reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Patel had landed in Russia for a meeting scheduled to take place there.
"Here's where Kash Patel actually is... Liberty U, doing a law enforcement appreciation event"
DeniedResponding to: Kash Patel landed in Russia on October 14, 2026, for a meeting scheduled to take place there.
Full statement and sources
The FBI's Rapid Response account posts the MS NOW segment beside video of Patel at an event at Liberty University and mocks the network's sources.
After the statement
MS NOW correspondent Ken Dilanian corrected the report on air later that day, saying Patel did not land in Russia and remains in the U.S.
FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) post: "MS Now's 'sources' are 'familiar' with NOTHING!" · Federal Bureau of InvestigationFull postMS NOW issues correction after FBI disputes reporting of Kash Patel visiting Russia · The National News DeskFull articleWhy this label?
MS NOW reported that Patel had landed in Russia. The FBI disputes that report by showing him at an event in Lynchburg, Virginia, the same day, so we used denies.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Jamie RaskinRanking member of the House Judiciary Committee, in a joint letter with Rep. Jim HimesDirectly involvedBefore this statement
The letter, dated October 5 and released by committee Democrats on October 9, cites reports that Patel plans to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg as a guest of the FSB, which it says has a documented history of espionage operations against American officials.
"In the interest of national security, we ask you to reconsider. Call off this trip."
CondemnedResponding to: FBI Director Kash Patel is scheduled to visit Russia on October 14 and 15, 2026, first stopping in Moscow and then St. Petersburg, with the FSB likely to host him.
Full statement and sources
Raskin and Himes ask Patel to cancel the reported trip to Russia and, if he goes ahead, to brief them behind closed doors by October 12.
After the statement
The letter asks, if Patel insists on going, for a closed-door briefing by 5 p.m. on October 12 on his efforts to build ties with Russian and Chinese law enforcement and on the counterintelligence precautions he is taking.
Letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes to FBI Director Kash Patel about his reported Russia trip · Jamie RaskinFull letter, pages 1-5Why this label?
The case centers on Patel's reported trip to Russia hosted by the FSB. Raskin asks Patel to cancel it on national security grounds, so we used condemns.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Jim HimesRanking member of the House Intelligence Committee, in a joint letter with Rep. Jamie RaskinDirectly involvedBefore this statement
The letter says the FBI director holds information that would be highly valuable to America's adversaries, and cites the $25,000 Patel was paid for taking part in a documentary made by a filmmaker it calls a known Kremlin ally.
"We are troubled that you could be traveling to Russia, not only out of apparent ignorance of its malign intentions, but in furtherance of its longstanding campaign to undermine American democracy."
CondemnedResponding to: FBI Director Kash Patel is scheduled to visit Russia on October 14 and 15, 2026, first stopping in Moscow and then St. Petersburg, with the FSB likely to host him.
Full statement and sources
Himes and Raskin write that Patel's trip could further Russia's campaign to undermine American democracy, a few weeks before the midterm elections.
After the statement
The letter quotes a political analyst with close ties to the Kremlin who suggested Russia could give the American side damaging material about Democrats, and says Patel may be traveling to Russia a few weeks before the midterms.
Letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes to FBI Director Kash Patel about his reported Russia trip · Jamie RaskinFull letter, pages 1-5Why this label?
The case centers on Patel's reported trip to Russia hosted by the FSB. Himes writes that the trip could advance Russia's efforts to undermine American democracy, a direct objection to it, so we used condemns.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(7)
Original text
Letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes to FBI Director Kash Patel about his reported Russia trip
Relevant passage: Full letter, pages 1-5
About this source
Five-page letter dated October 5, 2026, from the ranking Democrats on the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees. It asks Patel to cancel a reported two-day trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg that Russia's Federal Security Service would host, and, if he goes ahead, to give a closed-door briefing by October 12 on the trip and on FBI cooperation with Russian and Chinese law enforcement.
- Author
- Rep. Jamie Raskin and Rep. James A. Himes
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) post: "MS NOW just reported I had 'landed in Russia'"
About this source
Post by Patel on X responding to MS NOW's report that he had landed in Russia for meetings with the FSB. It lists FBI arrest and seizure figures and says the outlet owes an apology to the FBI, law enforcement and the American people.
- Author
- FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash)
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) post: "MS Now's 'sources' are 'familiar' with NOTHING!"
About this source
Post by the FBI's Rapid Response account on X, with video of the MS NOW segment reporting that Patel had landed in Russia next to video of Patel at a law enforcement appreciation event at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
- Author
- FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response)
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Photos Show Kash Patel at Virginia Event After False Report He's in Russia
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Newsweek report published October 14, 2026, on MS NOW's retraction of its report that Patel had landed in Russia. It quotes the FBI Rapid Response account, Ken Dilanian's correction, Patel's post on X, the Raskin and Himes letter, and Raskin's remark on MS NOW the day before that Patel may have called off the trip.
- Author
- Alex Backus and Hannah Parry
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
MS NOW issues correction after FBI disputes reporting of Kash Patel visiting Russia
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
The National News Desk report on MS NOW's October 14, 2026, on-air report that Patel had landed in Russia, the FBI Rapid Response post showing him at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, Ken Dilanian's on-air correction later that day and Patel's posts about the report.
- Author
- Natalia Mittelstadt
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
POLITICO report, citing a U.S. official and a person familiar with the plans, that Patel was scheduled to visit Moscow and then St. Petersburg on October 14 and 15, 2026, likely hosted by the FSB. It says the plans were tentative and that the FBI and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
- Author
- Nahal Toosi, Kyle Cheney and John Sakellariadis
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Ranking Members Himes, Raskin Urge Kash Patel to Abandon Russia Trip Hosted By Putin's Security Service Amid Espionage Concerns
Relevant passage: Full press release
About this source
Press release issued October 9, 2026, by House Intelligence Committee Democrats announcing the Raskin and Himes letter to Patel. It quotes the letter's call to cancel the trip and summarizes the lawmakers' concerns about the FSB and about FBI cooperation with Russian and Chinese law enforcement.
- Author
- House Intelligence Committee Democrats
- Published
- Accessed
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- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Raskin and Himes urge Kash Patel to call off a reported Russia trip; MS NOW corrects a report that he had landed there
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
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The Dispute Index. "Raskin and Himes urge Kash Patel to call off a reported Russia trip; MS NOW corrects a report that he had landed there". First published: 2026-10-24. Last updated: 2026-10-24. https://disputeindex.com/cases/raskin-and-himes-urge-kash-patel-to-call-off-a-reported-russia-trip-ms-now-corrects-a-report-that-he-had-landed-there