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FBI’s Patel sues Atlantic for US$250 million, says drinking story ‘is a lie’

FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation ⁠lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, following the publication of an article on Friday claiming…

By Samantha Johnson / April 20, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation ⁠lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, following the publication of an article on Friday claiming 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 at 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-fuelled nights” and that Patel “is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations”.

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In the Atlantic’s story, the White House, the Department of Justice and Patel denied the allegations. The article included a statement from the FBI attributed to Patel, “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court – bring your checkbook.”

“The Atlantic’s story is a lie,” Patel said in an interview with Reuters. “They were given the truth before they published, and they ⁠chose to print falsehoods anyway.”

We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel

Jeffrey Goldberg, Atlantic editor-in-chief

Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said in a statement to CNBC after Patel threatened to sue ‌the publication on Sunday in an appearance on Fox News: “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel.”

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