FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking, absences - CBS News
By: Jacob Rosen (CBSPolitics)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Jacob Rosen,
Washington — FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine on Monday, saying a recent story about his alleged frequent drinking and absences included "false and obviously fabricated" claims.
The 19-page lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, is seeking $250 million in damages. Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter who wrote the story, is also named as a defendant.
Patel and the FBI have repeatedly denied allegations in the story, which included allegations that Patel often drinks to excess. The piece, which cited multiple unnamed current and former officials, also said that Patel's "irregular presence at FBI headquarters and in field offices" has delayed "time-sensitive decisions" that require the FBI director's input.
The lawsuit listed 17 allegations in the article that Patel's legal team alleges were "false and defamatory statements of fact," including that he "is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication."
"Each of the foregoing statements and implications is false. They are so demonstrably and obviously false, or easily refuted, that it was at best reckless to publish them," the suit said.
In a statement posted on X, The Atlantic said, "We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists from this meritless lawsuit."
CBS News has reached out to Patel's lawyer, Jesse Binnall, for additional comment.
This is the second lawsuit that Patel has filed in connection with media reports about allegations of his drinking and partying.
Last year, he sued Frank Figliuzzi, an MSNBC analyst and former FBI agent, over a claim suggesting Patel was spending more time in nightclubs than the FBI's headquarters. That case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, is still pending.
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The downside for him is a trial will be so embarrassing Trump will fire him the next day. Of course by the time it would go to trial Trump might be either out of office or a lame duck.
That's not the biggest downside for him though.
With the lawsuit the Atlantic will be able to subpoena his email and texts. While most will probably not pertain to the lawsuit, that could give the Atlantic access to many texts that apply to different matters...(Like Epstein...).
Patel is hoping for a big bucks settlement
I believe The Atlantic
You don't have to be drunk to work for Trump, butt it helps...
Story choice leans left but with very high factual reporting by excellent writers knowledgeable in their fields. Like The Wallstreet Journal, The Atlantic will not backdown.
Full disclosure, I subscribe yearly and read every issue front to back.
There goes any chance of being on the jury.
I (along with the rest of the nation) watched Patel chug a beer in the locker room of the men's hockey team after their gold medal win. As a beer drinker for 55 years I have never chugged a beer. It would seem to take a certain frat boy mindset and lots of practice. I assume Patel will be losing his lawsuit. Pentagon Pete is also well known as an extreme power drinker. Trump sure knows how to pick them.
Yeah and it’s The Atlantic that has damaged his reputation.
trmp is supposedly not a drinker but he seems to surround himself with heavy drinkers
Another settlement incoming…..
trumpski sure seems to give his DEI hires a lot of leeway on their jobs ...
I looked like that when I fell in a stump hole and lost consciousness for a minute
Lordy, I hope there are tapes. God bless the whistleblowers.
Have they drug tested this crackhead yet? I have a relative who’s a special agent in the FBI. Moral is abysmally low since Ka$h arrived. You couldn’t design a better way to destroy an institution.
What do you mean? He's the face of the Trump administration and MAGA!
Can’t get more woke than that! That’s the kind of woke that comes with an eight ball. And his sidekick has BONG right in his name! When I was younger I had a total burnout friend that looked just like this dude.
Where in the hell does he get the idea that he is even worth $250M??
Juries are getting way outta hand with their approval of such funds. Used to be the judge would set the price and they were usually much lower than the "demanding" price.