FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday that he will file a lawsuit after The Atlantic published a report questioning his fitness for the job and citing several officials who said his alcohol use has “been a recurring source of concern across the government.”
Reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick of The Atlantic included a comment from the FBI attributed to Patel in her article, titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” which read, “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court — bring your checkbook.”
Patel doubled down Friday on X, writing, “see you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court… But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up.” The post included a screenshot of an email from the FBI assistant director for public affairs.
“Sarah, Top to bottom, this is one of the most absurd things I’ve ever read,” wrote Benjamin Williamson in the purported email. “Completely false at a nearly 100% clip. And with a two hour deadline. Copying my colleague Erica. We’ll get you some more thorough responses.”
The article itself, meanwhile, featured some troubling allegations.
