FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick for reportedly $250 million, after the magazine covered a story that said he was concerned about being the next in line to be fired by US President Donald Trump and that he “alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”
The Atlantic called the suit “meritless,” with one magazine’s spokespersons telling CNN, “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.”
The defamation suit argues that the article “falsely asserted Patel is a habitual drunk, unable to perform the duties of his office, is a threat to public safety, is vulnerable to foreign coercion, has violated DOJ ethics rules, and is unreachable in emergencies.”
It also said that claims that the FBI director “has required the deployment of ‘breaching equipment’ to extract him from locked rooms, allows alcohol to influence his public statements about criminal investigations, and behaves erratically in a manner that compromises national security,” were fabricated.
Additionally, the suit claimed that The Atlantic “published these statements with actual malice,” a key element in a defamation suit against a public figure, and requires proof that the author of the piece displayed “reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.”
The Atlantic argues article was ‘thoroughly reported, carefully written’
Fitzpatrick defended her article by saying that she spoke with “more than two dozen people” who could confirm Patel’s conduct, “including current and former FBI officials, staff at law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, hospitality-industry workers, members of Congress, political operatives, lobbyists, and former advisers.”
She also argued that, due to the sensitive content covered in the piece, sources were granted anonymity to speak to The Atlantic, adding that they “described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability.”
The article said Patel had serious issues with his conduct, professionalism, and personal behavior. Prominently among the complaints levied against the FBI Director was his propensity for alcoholism.
Several officials described Patel as frequently drinking to the point of “obvious intoxication,” to the degree that, during his early days as FBI Director, meetings and briefings would have to be scheduled for later in the day.
The Atlantic had previously reported that Patel was one of several high-profile cabinet members whom the administration was considering firing.
Patel, a former White House official, told The Atlantic, is “rightly paranoid.” According to several other officials, the Trump administration is already discussing possible replacements as head of the FBI.
Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.
🚨 BREAKING: Watch the full clip here ➤
