Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250m Over Alleged Defamation
Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has filed a $250m (£185m) defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, accusing the publication of spreading false and damaging claims about his conduct in office.
The lawsuit centres on an article that cited unnamed sources and alleged Patel engaged in excessive drinking and had unexplained absences from duty, claims it said could pose risks to public safety and national security.
In a statement, The Atlantic stood by its reporting, saying it would “vigorously defend” its journalists against what it described as a meritless case. Under US law, public officials pursuing defamation claims must prove “actual malice” — meaning a publisher knowingly printed false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, a standard established by the US Supreme Court.
Patel, speaking on Fox News prior to filing the lawsuit, had vowed legal action. Court documents describe the article as containing “false and obviously fabricated allegations” intended to damage his reputation and force him from office.
His legal team argues the magazine failed to provide adequate time to respond to detailed allegations and ignored a pre-publication letter disputing the claims. According to the filing, The Atlantic allowed only a short response window.
Attorney Jesse Binnell said the publication had been warned the claims were “categorically false and defamatory” but proceeded regardless.
However, reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick rejected those assertions in an interview with MSNBC, stating that multiple requests for comment were made, including a detailed list of questions sent to relevant parties. She added that the report was based on interviews with more than two dozen sources.
The article also included responses attributed to the White House, the FBI, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Patel, saying crime rates had dropped significantly under his leadership and that he remained a key figure in the administration’s law enforcement efforts.
The FBI has not yet issued a formal response to the lawsuit.
