FBI director Kash Patel claimed to US senators that the removal of a bar on hiring people who had engaged in bestiality was aimed at protecting sexual assault survivors.

“Why would you even get into bestiality?” he asked. “We’re not into bestiality,” said Patel.

In a further exchange, Patel explained to Senator John Kennedy, the Louisiana Republican, that previously, regulations had barred anyone who engaged in bestiality “on either side of it.”

“Either side of what, the bestiality?” asked Kennedy. “So you disqualified the animal?”

“We have great canines, but we’re not going to disqualify them,” said Patel.

  • Tippy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    7·
    2 hours ago

    Are you somehow under the impression that victims of sexual abuse are convicted of the felonies perpetrated against them?

    The policy was to bar FELONS, as is the case at any law enforcement agency.

    • RamRabbit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      47 minutes ago

      The article repeatedly states this is about sexual victims. It doesn’t use the word ‘felon’ a single time. Not only that, it even points out that those convicted of such crimes are still not eligible for employment.

      new FBI hiring standards are aimed at protecting “victims of bestiality.”

      “Applicants who have engaged in bestiality means they were victims of bestiality because they were forced to do so,” replied Patel. “At this FBI we are not going to criminalize and prevent victims from serving.”

      multiple individuals have been disqualified from applying for the agency because they were victims of human-trafficking-related bestiality.

      the FBI has had a number of applicants in previous years who suffered sexual abuse in their past, causing questions about prostitution, bestiality, or other similar issues to affect their background check process through zero fault of their own. Previously, those applicants would be barred from consideration. Now they can be considered.

      It is false to suggest criminal behavior like this is no longer disqualifying at the FBI—any applicant who has engaged in criminal sexual acts like those referenced would of course not be eligible for employment, and it is ridiculous to suggest otherwise.