FBI director also dismisses allegations of unexplained absences as Democrats challenge him over Atlantic report

US politics live – latest updates

Embattled FBI director Kash Patel has denied under oath allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job, dismissing them as “baseless” during a fiery congressional hearing.

Patel sought to push back as Democrats challenged him over the “extremely alarming” reports, which ran in the Atlantic, which they argued would a mount to a “gross dereliction” of duty.

The FBI director has sued the magazine, and the author of a story it published, filing a defamation lawsuit in US district court for the District of Columbia that seeks $250m in damages.