FBI director Kash Patel is threatening to sue The Atlantic after the magazine published an investigation alleging excessive drinking, repeated unexplained absences from work and a paranoid episode at FBI headquarters that sources say left employees questioning who was running the agency.
The piece, published on 17 April 2026 under the headline 'The FBI Director Is MIA' and written by Atlantic staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick, draws on interviews with more than two dozen people, including current and former FBI agents, congressional staff, political operatives, lobbyists and hospitality industry workers, all granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
