Kash Patel Files $250M Defamation Suit Against The Atlantic For Reporting On His Alleged Drunken Behavior

FBI Director Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic over what he described on social media as a “hit piece,” referring to a story the outlet posted last Friday, titled “The FBI Director is MIA.” The piece includes allegations that Patel has engaged in “excessive drinking” as well as “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” while in charge of the FBI.

According to Politico, Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick, who authored the story, accusing the publication of engaging in an ongoing effort to “damage Director Patel’s reputation and force him from office.” Off the top, it’s interesting that Patel and his legal team believe the Atlantic’s endgame is to get Patel fired, as if any media outlet would have a vested interest in the Trump administration axing one MAGA sycophant and replacing him with another. It certainly does speak to Patel’s paranoia over the very real possibility of him being the next official to be fired after President Donald Trump appointed them to a role they never belonged in.

“The Atlantic’s story is a lie. They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway,” Patel said in a statement to Politico. “I took this job to protect the American people and this FBI has delivered the most prolific reduction in crime in U.S. history. Fake news won’t report it, and their toxicity will never erode nor stop our Mission.”

Now, when Patel says the Atlantic was “given the truth before they published,” what he seems to mean is that he, the White House, Department of Justice had all denied the allegations in a pre-publication letter sent to the outlet that went “ignored,” according to the suit. Considering that the Trump administration has routinely denied the constant allegations that it is filled with incompetent and woefully underqualified MAGA morons, and has reflexively shouted “fake news” at every headline that makes it look bad, why should the Atlantic or any institution of journalism take Patel, the White House and Trump’s MAGA-fied DOJ at face value when they deny allegations that are in their best interest to deny?

The Atlantic’s article cited about two dozen anonymous sources, who claimed he drinks excessively, is often “away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations,” and are “deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy,” which, again, might speak to why he’s so gung-ho about filing this lawsuit, which he announced he would file during a Fox News interview, days before he made good on the promise.

Look, it’s worth noting that Patel didn’t file a suit when news outlets were reporting about him turning the FBI into his girlfriend’s personal chauffeur service. Did those stories not require legal action because there was nothing reported that could be proven false?

According to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII), to prove defamation, a plaintiff must show a false statement purporting to be fact, publication or communication of that statement to a third person, fault amounting to at least negligence, and damages, or some harm caused to the reputation of the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.

So, Patel will have to prove the Atlantic is guilty of all four offenses. It would be a shame if Patel had recently posted something online that one might argue implied he wasn’t bothered or burdened by “hit piece lies” told by media outlets about him.

“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,” Patel tweeted Saturday, the day after the Atlantic’s story was published. “Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.”

Meanwhile, the fine folks at the Atlantic, including Fitzpatrick, are standing by their reporting.

“We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,” The Atlantic told Politico.

Patel is seeking $250 million in damages and the disgorgement of any profits made from the article’s publication. The suit represents the Trump administration’s latest attack on the free press, which has included multiple lawsuits, most of which have failed, because the First Amendment is still a thing, even under this authoritarian regime that has some nerve to shout “fake news” the way it does while being a round-the-clock propaganda machine.

SEE ALSO:

Kash Patel Has Turned The FBI Into His Girlfriend’s Personal Chauffeur Service

Kash Patel Personal Emails Exposed By Hackers Linked To Iran