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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Jeremy Barr

Kash Patel sues the Atlantic over article alleging excessive drinking

a man in a suit speaks into a microphone while seated at a table
Kash Patel on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, on 18 March 2026. Photograph: Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images

Kash Patel has followed through on a threat to sue the Atlantic and the author of a story the magazine published that included allegations of “excessive drinking” as well as “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” while in charge of the FBI.

The FBI director filed a defamation lawsuit in US district court for the District of Columbia that seeks $250m in damages.

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