FBI Director Patel Sues Atlantic in $250 Million Defamation Case

FBI Director Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick over a story alleging excessive drinking and unexplained absences, calling the reporting “malicious lies” built on anonymous sources with partisan motives.

The complaint, filed Monday in federal court in Washington, targets an April 17 article with the headline “Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job.” The story alleged Patel drank to the point of obvious intoxication at a Washington private club and at a Las Vegas venue, that meetings were rescheduled due to alcohol-fueled nights, and that his security detail had difficulty waking him on multiple occasions.