FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for a ‘malicious hit piece’ that alleges excessive drinking

(SeaPRwire) –   FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine, alleging that a recent article detailing his purported excessive drinking is defamatory and constitutes a “malicious hit piece.”

The publication has countered by stating it supports its journalism and will fight the “meritless lawsuit” aggressively.

The article, published on the magazine’s site last Friday, features author Sarah Fitzpatrick’s claims that Patel is worried about his job security, in part due to “what witnesses described to me as bouts of excessive drinking.”

The Atlantic reported that his conduct, involving “both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences,” has raised concerns among FBI and Department of Justice officials. Fitzpatrick is listed as a defendant in the case.

In the suit, filed in a Washington district court, Patel refuted the claims about his behavior and attacked the magazine’s use of unnamed sources. Fitzpatrick stated she spoke with over two dozen individuals, offering anonymity so they could “discuss sensitive information and private conversations.”

The lawsuit contends, “Defendants cannot evade responsibility for their malicious lies by hiding behind sham sources.”