Patel sues The Atlantic, claiming false reporting
By: Jana Winter
Reuters
..... FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick following the publications of an article on April 17 [2026] alleging the director had a drinking problem that could pose a threat to national security.
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The magazine's story, initially titled "Lash Patel's Erratic Behavior could Cost Him His Job," citied 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's in its Online version, reported that during Patel's tenure, the FBI had to reschedule early mornings "as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights" and that Patel "is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations."
..... In The Altaic's story, the White House, the department of Justice and Patel denied the allegations. The article included a statment 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."
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"We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against the merit-less lawsuit," The Atlantic said in a statement.
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Patel's complaint says that while The Atlantic is free to criticize the leadership of the FBI, "they crossed the legal line" by publishing an article "replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel's reputation and drive him from office."
..... The lawsuit, field in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks $250 million in damages.
..... The lawsuit alleges The Atlantic ignored the FBI's denials and did not respond to an April 17 [2026] letter from Patel's lawyer Jesse Binnall to senior editor and The Atlantic's legal department asking for more time to refute the 19 allegations the reporter told the FBI's press office she would be publishing.
..... The letter was sent shortly before 4 PM. April 17 [2026] and the story was published at 6:30 PM., according to the complaint. Reuters could not establish how or if The Atlantic responded to Binnall's request.
..... The lawsuit alleges the publication acted with "actual malice," a legal standard that requires public figures such as Patel to show the publisher knowingly printed false information or recklessly ignored doubts about its accuracy. "Defendants' conscious decision to ignore the detailed, specific, and substantive refutations in the Pre-Publication Letter, and their refusal to give a reasonable amount of time for the FBI and director Patel to respond, is among the strongest possible evidence of actual malice," the lawsuit says.
..... The lawsuit is the latest instance of a Trump administration figure suing a media outlet. A judge dismissed Trump's lawsuit against CNN for describing election denials, as "the big lie." Judges also dismissed Trump's lawsuits against The New Y9ork Times and The Wall Street Journal. Trump has refiled his lawsuit against The New York Times and may refiled against The Wall Street Journal.