Overview
- Kash Patel bought between $100,001 and $250,000 of MicroStrategy stock in November 2025 and did not report the trade to ethics regulators until May 26, 2026, saying the omission was inadvertent.
- Deputy Assistant Attorney General William Taylor wrote on May 28, 2026, that the purchase does not create a conflict with Patel’s FBI duties and described the late disclosure as a miscommunication.
- The FBI says Patel amended his filing and DOJ ethics officials approved the corrected paperwork, and the Justice Department has not issued a STOCK Act fine at this time.
- Watchdog groups say the six-month delay violates the STOCK Act’s 45-day reporting rule and point to MicroStrategy’s past contracts with DOJ as a reason the trade creates an appearance of conflict.
- The case adds to scrutiny of Patel’s pattern of trading individual stocks since becoming FBI director and could intensify calls from watchdogs and lawmakers for stricter rules or limits on officials trading individual securities.