Mr. Patel has lengthy been part of efforts to combat off the Justice Division investigations into Mr. Trump and his allies. Earlier this yr, as officers had been pushing Mr. Trump to return information he had taken to Mar-a-Lago when he left workplace, Mr. Trump made him one in every of his representatives to the Nationwide Archives and Information Administration to take care of his information.
Authorized specialists say prosecutors attempt to keep away from giving witnesses immunity, particularly in high-profile instances, as a result of it makes it rather more troublesome to prosecute the person who acquired it. However prosecutors usually ask a choose to grant it when they’re confronted with a witness who has data that they consider is crucial to finishing the investigation.
Regardless of the federal government’s signaling that Mr. Patel was solely a witness — not a topic of the investigation — he nonetheless refused to cooperate, and a federal choose declined to associate with an effort by prosecutors to compel his testimony. By eradicating the likelihood that he could possibly be charged with against the law based mostly on proof revealed by his testimony, the grant of immunity basically made moot Mr. Patel’s Fifth Modification claims.
Mr. Patel has elevated his affect with Mr. Trump because the finish of the presidency, sustaining his criticisms of the investigation into whether or not the Trump marketing campaign conspired with Russia within the 2016 marketing campaign.
Earlier this yr, Mr. Patel advised associates that he was anticipated to tackle an much more central position in Mr. Trump’s authorized defenses, at present coordinated by one other Trump adviser, Boris Epshteyn, in line with an individual aware of his feedback.
In an look on Monday on “The Benny Present,” a pro-Trump podcast, Mr. Patel was requested whether or not he would settle for a place as F.B.I. director if Mr. Trump had been elected president in 2024.
“I’m all in with the boss, and you understand that,” Mr. Patel stated. “First, I inform folks, let’s win the midterms. After which let’s see what he does and, you understand, you and I believe I do know what he’s going to do. After which it’s a two-year elevate and you understand what, they’re going to return after us.”