FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic. He is accusing the magazine of making false and defamatory claims about his alleged drinking on the job and concerns about his leadership and conduct within the bureau.
FBI Director Kash Patel Sues Magazine For $250M
In a lawsuit filed on Monday, April 20, against The Atlantic, Kash Patel denied all claims made by the magazine in a recent report by staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick. He is calling it a “sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece.” The White House stands in support of Patel. It is with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that he is “a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.”
The Atlantic also issued a statement addressing the lawsuit, declaring, “We will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.” According to the report published by The Atlantic on April 17, Patel’s security detail allegedly “had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated” on multiple occasions during his tenure. The article also claimed that at one point, agents allegedly requested “breaching equipment” that is often used by SWAT teams, “because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors.”
Pushing back at the claims, Patel told Fox News on Sunday, “If the fake news mafia isn’t hitting you personally in Washington, D.C., then you’re not doing your job.” In a direct warning, the FBI Director declared, “We’re not going to take this laying down. You want to attack my character? Come at me. Bring it on. I’ll see you in court.”
Patel also denied the allegations that he indulges in excessive drinking at clubs in Washington and Las Vegas. Plus, he also denied that it contributed to errors in information shared during major investigations. It included the probe into the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Meanwhile, the article’s author, Sarah Fitzpatrick, stated in a Friday appearance on MS NOW that she stands “by every word of this reporting.”
