On Monday, FBI Director Kash Patel filed a lawsuit against The Atlantic seeking $250 million in damages for an article the magazine published last week about Patel's alleged drinking habits. The lawsuit claims that the publication had "crossed the legal line by publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel's reputation and drive him from office."
The piece, written by Sarah Fitzpatrick, claimed that "Patel's drinking has been a recurring source of concern across the government." It reported that six current and former officials said that early in Patel's tenure, "meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights." It also claimed that, "on multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated," according to Justice Department and White House Officials.
