FBI chief Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick, following the publication of an article on Friday alleging the director had a drinking problem that could pose a threat to national security.
The magazine’s story, initially titled “Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job,“ cited more than two dozen anonymous sources expressing concern about Patel’s “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” that ”alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice.”
The article, which the Atlantic subsequently titled “The FBI Director Is ?MIA” in its online version, reported that during Patel’s tenure, the FBI had to reschedule early meetings ”as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights” and that Patel “is ?often away or ?unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations.”
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