FBI Director Cathy Patel's remarks about the possibility of deploying poll workers in the midterm elections are met with opposition from opposition parties.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Yong-rae = The opposition party is protesting after U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Cathy Patel mentioned that FBI agents could be deployed to polling places across the U.S. during the midterm elections in November.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 15th (local time) that Director Patel appeared at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and made remarks to leave open the possibility of dispatching federal agents to polling places.

When Senator Peter Welch (Democrat, Vermont) said, "I understand you said you wouldn't send people to the polls," Patel countered, "When did you hear that? Another lie."

When Rep. Welch asked again, "So you are going to send FBI agents to polling places?" Patel said, "Election crisis coordinators are deployed in all 56 branches (of the FBI). Election fairness is more important than anything else, and the FBI will not back down from this effort."

When Director Patel first received a related question that day, he said, "I will follow the law," but soon reversed his stance.

“If there is a violation of the law and there is a reason for us to go to the field, we will go. If not, we will not go,” he said. “Agents and intelligence analysts will be stationed in field offices.”

Director Patel's remarks that day are causing controversy because they say they may violate positive law.

Federal law strictly prohibits armed federal agents or military personnel from being deployed “at any location where a general or special election is being held.” The purpose is to prevent the federal government from deploying the military or armed agents into polling places to intimidate voters or influence the election process.

Previously, John Cain, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a letter to Democratic senators last month that there were "no plans" to deploy military troops to polling places during the midterm elections.

Rep. Welch expressed strong concern, saying Director Patel's response suggests that the federal government's authority could be used to influence the election results.

When Welch asked during the hearing, "Can you promise not to interfere in any way with the will of the American people in the November vote?" Patel avoided giving a direct answer and responded, "I clearly promise that I will never participate in your play of lies."

Afterwards, a heated argument broke out between the two sides.

When Representative Welch accused Director Patel of being a sycophant of President Trump, Patel angrily fired back, saying, "Everyone is seeing that you are a complete fraud."

Patel, who served in charge of counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC), a high-ranking official at the Office of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the acting chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense in the first Trump administration, was unexpectedly selected as FBI director in the second administration, and is considered a loyalist close associate of Trump.

NYT reported on this day that Patel's remarks "raised concerns among Democrats that the Donald Trump administration may try to intervene more strongly in the upcoming election."