Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, accusing the magazine and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick of defamation over an article alleging that the FBI director has a drinking problem.
lawsuitThe filing on Monday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, refers An article published on 17 April Claims have been made that Patel has a habit of “excessive drinking and unexplained absences”, among other recurring behavioral patterns.
The lawsuit argues that Fitzpatrick’s reporting is part of The Atlantic’s ongoing pattern of “damaging Director Patel’s reputation and forcing him from office.”
atlantic on monday defended its reporting.
The Atlantic said, “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel and will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this frivolous lawsuit.”
The article details Patel’s alleged “apparent intoxication and unexplained absences”, citing nearly two dozen anonymous sources. Claims that the Director often “remains distant or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to move the investigation forward;” And Patel is “deeply concerned that his job is at risk.”
Politico has not independently confirmed The Atlantic’s reporting.
Patel’s lawsuit states that the unnamed sources had “clearly troubling axes to grind”, and highlights that the White House, the Justice Department, and Patel herself have all denied the allegations in the article. It also alleges that a pre-publication letter sent to The Atlantic was “ignored.”
In a statement to POLITICO through his lawyers, Patel reiterated that the allegations made in the article are false.
Patel said, “The Atlantic’s story is a lie. They were told the truth before publishing, and they chose to print the lie.” “I took this job to protect the American people and this FBI has brought about the largest reduction in crime in American history. The fake news will not report it, and their toxicity will never overshadow or stop our mission.”
Patel is seeking damages of $250 million and restitution of any profits made from the publication of the article. He has sued media outlets before; a lawsuit that Filed against Politico in 2019 for defamation Remains pending.
