In a political pivot, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who previously voted against the confirmation of Kash Patel as FBI director, now says she is actively working with him — praising parts of his approach while pushing for concrete action on longstanding justice issues affecting Native communities and public safety in Alaska.
During a Senate committee hearing this week, Murkowski engaged in a substantive exchange with Director Patel, focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and Alaska’s worsening fentanyl epidemic.
“This is a week that a lot of Alaskans are paying attention to,” Murkowski began, referencing the national recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day. She commended past efforts like Operation Lady Justice under the Trump administration and noted Patel’s new initiative, Operation Not Forgotten, which she said must be more than a name—it must come with real resources.
“I need to be able to give folks back home the comfort that they need to know that these cases … will not be dropped,” Murkowski told Patel. “What can you share with me this morning?”
Patel, in response, highlighted his recent meetings with tribal leaders and families of victims, including the parents of 14-year-old Emily Pike, whose unsolved murder continues to haunt a reservation community in Arizona.
“Every crime in this country will be treated equally,” Patel said, adding that he is pushing for more FBI presence on reservations and direct engagement with tribal communities, including a liaison position at FBI headquarters.
While Alaska lacks the reservation system and formal tribal law enforcement structures found in the Lower 48, Murkowski emphasized the state’s unique challenges and criticized the FBI for inadequate communication with victims’ families.
“It’s radio silence out of the agency,” she said, urging Patel to fund more Victim Service Coordinators in Alaska’s FBI offices.
The discussion also touched on the rising tide of fentanyl deaths in the state, with Murkowski pointing to a 40% increase in overdose fatalities in 2023, making Alaska the only state where numbers are still climbing. “We ought to be able to intercept drugs more effectively,” she said, noting Alaska’s limited access points for trafficking.
Patel assured her that the FBI is increasing resources in Alaska and pledged to continue collaborating on both fentanyl interdiction and the MMIWG crisis.
“We will work with you and your office to make sure Alaska is not forgotten,” he said.
The public exchange, while cordial and constructive, marks a notable shift in Murkowski’s stance on Patel. Her initial opposition during his confirmation process centered on concerns about his political background and ties to former President Donald Trump’s inner circle. But now, with Patel in office and wielding significant influence over federal law enforcement priorities, Murkowski appears committed to engaging him directly to ensure Alaska’s needs are addressed.
It is all about the Natives no one else in Alaska
A tough comment, but quite fair when it comes to Alaska’s elected leaders. If you aren’t Native, you are ignored. Or worse, blamed.
Setting the stage for the next round of Federal pork from the delegation: IMO very little of it will benefit the average Alaskan. Almost all of it will be sent to rural Alaska or the military.
??? … “ Senator Murkowski will always work with whoever holds the office, regardless of past votes, if it means delivering justice and safety for Alaskans.”
She has yet to work with Donald Trump!
I agree! She always there to vote No on Trump’s ideas and policies!
This was nothing more than Lying Lisa* trying to appear concerned and “working hard”.
*2010 promise to abide by primary results vs Joe Miller.
She remains full of bovine scat. 💩
Amen and amen to your comment.
The first thought as I read this piece on the Princess expounding cordiality, was it a defense move to offset her fear of being on somebody’s list.
Just thinking here.
I agree al. She is sure kissing a// her lately. She looks scared to me.
Murkowski’s ‘pivot’ comes after not having done any homework to understand the intentions of Patel as a proven administrator. Patel’s thesis, caliber and record were lost to Murkowski from day one; behaviour equivalent to teenage self consumption, not that of a Senator.
Watch your back, Mr. Director………..
If “Every crime in this country will be treated equally” then why do we have a special emphasis on Native Americans with “the national recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day?”
This is all well and good as long as false bigoted allegations of non-natives from the lower 48 kidnapping and murdering girls is scrutinized for the bullsh|t narratives that they are.
Non-natives working in the Seward peninsula are often targeted, threatened and terrorized by mining enterprise connected ‘noble inupiat leaders’ in an attempt to scapegoat persons they intend to intimidate into abandonment of lucrative employment.
Every time murkowski hits Nome with her team to gather in the windfall from the #TribesThatBribes – she makes public declarations to “get to the bottom of these unsolved murders perpetrated by ‘non-natives'”. It’s the phrase that pays.
The harsh reality is that the noble inupiat have a violence, alcohol, anti-social, drug addled culture which results in the violent attacks upon the most vulnerable within their own communities. They know it, Lisa knows it, AK law enforcement knows it and the FBI knows it.
Stop scapegoating the non-natives and focus on addressing of your own problems.
Yup.
Almost all these “murders” are native on native.
Almost 100% of rapes of native women and boys are done by other natives.
Natives were enslaving each other 25 years after the Civil War – look up the Sah Quah federal Court case – 1 out of every 3 natives in SE Alaska was a slave to other natives.
The Catholic church came in and saw how incest was a part of almost every single family in the native communities – the boarding schools were implemented in an attempt to stop the rape of little girls AND boys by uncles, fathers, grandfather’s, and big brothers.
They want to pount at the white man for all of their ills – when in reality they need to look at each other and have a reckoning.
This is a jarring statement! I’ve never read anything of the sort from our noble fourth estate. Are you sure your statement is true?
Beavis and Butthead’s mother is a phony. Where was she on this subject during Biden’s administration except a lot of talk?
Don,t trust that Witch, she has something going behind the scene,
Agreed! The only thing trustworthy about murkowski is fraud, injustice and waste!
well after the last four years with Biden, now she wants to play nice … not buying it, she’ll be gone next time around
Gotta keep those native votes..but ignore the cultural depravity in the villages. Yeah, all politics, no real concern for the people. Disgusting
I told Lisa that every once in awhile she must produce a “smart Murkowski moment” while in the Senate. She shined like a star asking President Trump’s FBI Director to focus on missing Alaska Natives. It reminds me of the time when I was in the US Senate in 1995 and held up Vince Foster’s empty brief case for the press and blurted out, “look what I found.” I sure miss those moments.
Frankie had no part in passing along IQ genes to Lisa. Unfortunately, what she got was the bare minimum, no fault of mine. It’s a 50/50 proposition, and unfortunately, Lisa only inherited about 25% of my IQ donation, leaving her with a dubious quantum. But she did earn every nasty wrinkle that she wears today.
What a bottle of lies! The Murkowski’s never stop their excuses and lies. Happy will be the day when ugly, vile Lisa Murkowski is gone from the congressional group. All of the Murkowski’s can go the same way.
I told Lisa to be nice to Kash. We don’t need camo-dressed agents breaking our doors down at 4:00 am looking for stolen Senate records, or old bank statements from Frankie’s banking days. And certainly not old marked-up Alaska Bar exams.
Vern’s last job was about 35 years ago. This is the definition of a drone. He never got booted from the hive.
The only reason she would work with Patel or Trump is if she thought that, by doing so, she could torpedo them.
Broom Hilda ‘flirts’ with FBI Director…
Perhaps it has finally dawned on Senator Murkowski that her pathological TDS will not work too well with the Trump administration in the next four years. Plus her strategy of weaponizing the narrowly divided Senate by withholding her vote from the Trump agenda is not working. Her vote is no longer vital and nobody cares what she thinks about anything. So, she grudgingly works with the administration on issues that promote her politically.
The bottom line is that Senator Murkowski is an ‘extraordinarily ordinary’ (4 times to pass the bar!?) political entity who must resort to gimmicks to get reelected. Alaskans must do better.
Director Patel knows Senator Murkowski for who she is: an ‘extraordinarily ordinary’ (4 times to pass the bar exam, really?!) political entity who must resort to election gimmicks to stay in office. She is guided by her pathological TDS. Apparently it has dawned on her that she can no longer hold her vote hostage on issues vital to the Trump agenda. The Senate is no longer that closely divided. As such, we are back to the reality that nobody cares what Senator Murkowski says or thinks about anything. Alaskans must do better!
We should not be so hard on Lisa.
She wakes up on a new nest frequently and doesn’t recognize her surroundings. And it can’t be fixed. Not her fault! Blame goes to her father. He was notoriously considered to be an intellectual lightweight. The fruit generally does not fall far from the tree. Not her fault! Let’s be more understanding.
I understand that she should RESIGN.
There’s are missing facts in the MMIWG messaging. They should at least have a disclaimer stating that most of these missing, murdered, and/or abused indigenous women are victims of their own race. And many times those who come forward are shamed by their own families. That’s as much of a crisis as the one they choose to focus on.
She’s afraid he will investigate her dirty deeds and backstabbing life with friends like Liz C. To work the deep state to hide all that corruption🕵🏻♂️🤔🩻
Move the State Capitol out of Seattle/Canada and to where most Alaskans can see the corruption first hand 🕵🏻♂️💰🤔
Did any of you people watch the docudrama “On Deadly Ground”? Steven Seagull is no liar. And the oil companies are still at it. Get em Lisa!
Fantasyland. Both you and Lisa. The worst of the 49th State. Go back to your beer and drugs. You need both to get through another day.
Chris Wray was totally incapable and Merrick Garland was too busy focusing on the “Boogey Man” for Lisa to score any votes with the natives.
Lisa probably has some family ties to a non-profit that advocates for indigenous women in Alaska. That seems to be the way nowadays for law makers to launder taxpayer money
Anything, ANYTHING, that allows Princess to pander to the highly dysfunctional Alaskan Native community is fair game for her cynical ploys. What a bottom-feeding opportunist she is. Being such is in fact the only thing at which she has ever been more than mediocre.
“Quickly! I must follow them for I am their leader”.
Yes. This. ^^^
They are my people! I must follow them for I am their leader”. Ghandi
The Socialist believe in societal accountability. What they fail to recognize is that society is made up of individuals and therefore accountability starts with the individual. Many of the problems start in the home. These young people are being exploited by their own. Just call them uncle.