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The FBI has been headquartered in the Hoover building since 1974. \/ The Washington Post \/ The Washington Post via Getty Im<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we arrived, taxpayers were about to be on the hook for nearly $5 billion for a new headquarters that wouldn\u2019t open until 2035,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe scrapped that plan. Instead, we selected the already-existing Reagan Building, saving billions and allowing the transition to begin immediately with required safety and infrastructure upgrades already underway.\u201d<\/p>\n
The FBI has used Washington D.C.\u2019s J. Edgar Hoover Building as its headquarters since 1974. Patel said the Hoover building would be closed permanently after the FBI moves out. He did not provide an exact timeline for when the nearby Reagan Building would be ready to become the FBI\u2019s new home.<\/p>\n
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Patel did not say when the Reagan Building would be ready to house the FBI. \/ Scott J. Ferrell \/ CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag<\/p>\n
The FBI did not immediately respond to questions about when the Reagan Building would be ready and how much the move would save versus building a new facility.<\/p>\n
Patel, who has faced months of criticism for seemingly using the FBI\u2019s bank account to satisfy his personal whims, made the announcement four days after he was caught motoring around in the FBI\u2019s brand new luxury BMWs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Patel has been under fire for using FBI funds to give himself and his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, luxurious perks. \/ Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<\/p>\n FBI directors have traditionally been driven around in Chevrolet Suburbans with their security detail, but on Monday, MS Now<\/a> reported that Patel ordered BMW X5s so that he would be \u201cless conspicuous.\u201d<\/p>\n The price of a basic 2026 Chevy Suburban is roughly $63,000, according to Kelley Blue Book<\/a>, while a basic 2026 BMW X5 starts at around $68,000<\/a>. An FBI source told MS Now that the FBI purchased four higher-end X5 models costing $250,000 each, but noted new armored Suburbans would each cost $480,000. They did not say why Patel needed new cars.<\/p>\n The BMW X5, Patel’s new, less <\/p>\n Months before purchasing foreign, luxury cars for himself, Patel got heat for flying the FBI\u2019s taxpayer-funded, $60 million jet around the country to watch UFC matches, hockey games, and wrestling events, go on hunting trips, and attend the concerts of his girlfriend<\/a>, 27-year-old country singer Alexis Wilkins.<\/p>\n![\"Patel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2c49225a1f7df846b5a83f1f6f9b0cd8.jpeg\"\/)
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