FBI Director Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic on Monday, accusing the magazine of publishing a false story about his alleged excessive drinking. The suit targets a Friday article by Sarah Fitzpatrick that cited anonymous officials claiming Patel's intoxication led to work disruptions. Patel and The Atlantic both issued strong statements denying and defending the claims, respectively.
FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic for $250 million in punitive damages in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., calling the magazine's article a 'sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece.' The 19-page complaint argues the story relied on anonymous sources that were partisan and uninformed. Patel has denied all allegations of misconduct, telling Fox News, 'You wanna attack my character, come at me, bring it on, I’ll see you in court.' He added on social media on April 18, 'Memo to the fake news – the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop.'
