Despite a downvote by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Kash Patel has been confirmed as the next director of the FBI.

Patels' confirmation is thought of as the ushering in of a new era in the FBI, which has been rife with corruption throughout the last few administrations, as Fox News reported.

Colins' promise NOT to support Republican President Donald Trump's nominee for the investigative agency caused waves across Washington.

Citing a string of comments that, in her opinion, could be seen as calling into question his ability to be an apolitically lead for the bureau, Collins justified her lack of trust in the now-director of the FBI.

Collins Comments

From prosecutors quitting due to pressure over case handling to FBI agents risking termination for their work on cases involving January 6, 2021, Collins covered it all.

“In this context, there is a compelling need for an FBI Director who is decidedly apolitical. While Mr. Patel has had 16 years of dedicated public service, his time over the past four years has been characterized by high-profile and aggressive political activity,” Collins said in a statement.

“Mr. Patel has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead.

"These statements, in conjunction with the questionnaire sent to thousands of FBI employees, cast doubt on Mr. Patel’s ability to advance the FBI’s law enforcement mission in a way that is free from the appearance of political motivation.”

Possible Consideration

Collins stated that she was unable to evaluate Patel's qualifications without taking "the backdrop of recent personnel actions" at the DOJ into consideration.

Specifically, she brought up the survey that was distributed to all FBI agents involved in the almost 1,500 charges filed against individuals in relation to the January 6, 2021, Capitol storming.

As a result of their alleged fear of retaliation, FBI agents have filed a lawsuit to prevent the Department of Justice from releasing the names of agents who worked on the cases.

Post-Confirmation

Patel, who was confirmed by the Senate, is moving fast to take over the FBI, which has been plagued by scandals and a decline in public confidence since President Trump took office.

Meeting with his new staff at the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Building was on Patel's agenda for his day, even before he took the oath of office later to begin his 10-year term.

Patel promised to close the FBI building on day one. No sign that Patel will do that today, but he may make revisions. These include fielding agents and other staff and promoting agency-public transparency.

Patel said in his first statement to Fox News post-confirmation that his mission is clear: "Let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI."