President-elect Trump on Saturday nominated longtime ally Kash Patel to lead the FBI, tapping a figure who has pledged to reform the bureau.

In doing so, Trump signaled his plan to remove FBI Director Christopher Way, who Trump previously nominated to a 10-year term in 2017.

Patel held numerous national security roles under the first Trump administration but would be a new face at the FBI.

Here are five things to know about Patel.

A loyal Trump ally

Patel has been a staunch ally to Trump, stretching back to the FBI investigation into the president-elect's 2016 campaign.

Patel got his start in politics as a staffer to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), working as an adviser on the House Intelligence Committee.

Patel played a key role there in seeking to discredit the committee Democrats’ investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia. That included authoring a report analyzing FBI and DOJ responses in their own investigations into Russian election interference.

His criticism of the investigation is a frequent theme in his writings, including in a children's book.

“I discovered a coordinated effort to use the Russiagate hoax as a way to attack then-President Trump,” Patel wrote in an April email.

“It was a big hoax!”

Patel echos Trump on weaponization, plans for retribution

Patel regularly attacks a “deep state” that he blames for having “weaponized the government for their........

© The Hill