Podcaster Candace Owens and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) became embroiled in a public dispute on Monday after Owens claimed the agency effectively rejected her Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking FBI Director Kash Patel’s travel records from September 7-10, 2025.
Owens wrote on X that she had formally requested Kash Patel’s travel itinerary for the three days preceding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. She claimed the FBI responded by saying the “burden of the request was too great.”
However, the FBI publicly disputed that characterization. They accused Owens of mischaracterizing its response and shared the acknowledgement letter on X.
Read more: Candace Owens’ answer to whether she’s ‘done’ with Trump goes viral: ‘I feel embarrassed…’
What is the dispute about?
In an X post, Owens wrote, “Via FOIA, we formally requested Kash Patel’s travel itinerary for the 3 days leading up to Charlie Kirk’s assassination and we just heard back and were told the burden of the request is too great.”
In a response posted on X, the FBI shared images of a June 12, 2026, acknowledgement letter to Owens’ FOIA Request. The letter stated that “unusual circumstances” apply to processing the request under federal FOIA law and did not comply with Owens’ request.
“These ‘unusual circumstances’ will delay our ability to make a determination on your request within 20 days,” the letter read.
The FBI’s social media account challenged Owens directly.
“Please show us on the document sent to you acknowledging your FOIA request where we said: ‘The burden of the request is too great,'” the bureau wrote. “Your show just like the fake news media will be called out when you lie!”
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Social media users weigh in
The exchange sparked widespread online discussion. Many X users were not satisfied with the FBI’s response to Owens and said that informing a requester of substantial delays amounted to an incapacity to rapidly fulfill the request.
One account, Green Dragon HQ, responded by highlighting the section of the letter discussing delayed processing. “Right there. Where you said you could not accommodate her request within the legally required time frame,” the account wrote.
Another user on X wrote, “You literally said it will take longer than 20 days unless you want to limit the scope aka the “burden is too great.” Absolutely f*cking wild this is what you chose to respond to.”
Another user said that the FBI is “not a serious organisation” and wrote, “Whoever runs this gov propaganda account thinks “unusual circumstances” vs “burdensome” is an own. Semantics. This is not a serious organization.”
