FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday morning filed a lawsuit seeking $250 million in damages from The Atlantic magazine for what he claims is a defamatory article that alleges he abuses alcohol.
Patel over the weekend had vowed to sue The Atlantic for the article published on Friday, which carried the headline “Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job.”
“The FBI director has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences,” the article’s subhed says.
Patel’s 19-page suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
In addition to The Atlantic, the civil complaint names the article’s author, Sarah Fitzpatrick, as a defendant.
