FBI Director Kash Patel has followed through on his statement made Sunday to Maria Bartiromo and filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic alleging defamation [LAWSUIT HERE].
WASHINGTON DC – Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, accusing the magazine and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick of defamation over an article that alleged the FBI director has a drinking problem.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, refers to an article published April 17 that claims Patel has a habit of “excessive drinking and unexplained absences,” among other recurring behavioral patterns.
The suit argues that Fitzpatrick’s reporting is part of an ongoing pattern from The Atlantic to “damage Director Patel’s reputation and force him from office.”
The Atlantic on Monday defended its reporting. “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,” The Atlantic said.
The article, citing about two dozen anonymous sources, details Patel’s alleged “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences;” claims the director is often “away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations;” and that Patel is “deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy.” (read more)
I kind of hope is job is in jeopardy, but not for the alleged drinking.
I prefer he file arrest warrants for Deep State Gangsters.
As I said yesterday, there are two possible scenarios…
1) Patel is overseeing a huge criminal investigation that is going to ensnare some of the biggest names in Washington and the Atlantic desperately needs to smear his reputation before the info drops OR
2) He is in way over his head and has a serious drinking problem as a result of realizing that, in which case Donald Trump will probably need to replace him by the end of the month.
Only time will tell, I guess!
Even John Solomon, the ultimate MAGA grifter, recently chastised Patel for doing nothing. Solomon tried to say there were going to be 100-200 indictments in June 2025. Poor John, fat, dumb, and happy is no way to go through life.
Fat, dumb, and happy is one thing – taking credit for Sundance’s tireless work to get Director Gabbard to release the Atkinson transcript is something else altogether…ZERO sympathy for Solomon!!
So spot-on. Makes me cringe listening to him.
He’s an insufferable oaf.
King Solomon claimed credit for, “… last week when Just the News successfully persuaded Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to release long-secret memos…”
Goodness gracious – what would America ever do without his wisdom?
Yawn.
edit: That was not a reaction to your comment, it was a reply to the question at the end of your comment!
It’s strange that while working on this story, the journalists from The Atlantic never contacted Bongino to get his input. Since they claim Patel was drunk and out of reach so many times, you would imagine someone at the Bureau would have reached to Bongino who was No. 2. Therefore, he would have had something to say about it.
I haven’t been happy with Patel, but the hit pieces historically mean he’s onto something. I wish he had thicker skin though like Tulsi. There’s no need to run to Maria B and explain everything.
The rags that used to published this crap used to be named The National Enquirer, Star Magazine, Gawker & The New York Slimes.
PDJT’s beloved brother died from the effects of alcoholism. He will not tolerate it. I believe the Atlantic is smearing Kash and I am no fan of his. He’ll never get 250 mil and considering the relationship the media has with the deep state they may be willing to bankroll a settlement. In DC this has nothing to do with truth. The lefties will believe it no matter what. It’s official. Kash is a drunk just as PDJT is a pedo
This lawsuit being in DC, Patel might have to pay The Atlantic a few millions for frivolous lawsuit or something.
Tomorrow’s Washington Post…
FBI Director Patel’s defamation lawsuit has been RANDOMLY ASSIGNED to
Drum roll….
Judge James Boasberg
And Pam Blondie will represent him.
“Like the US Constitution, the FBI Director has NO STANDING. Next!”
— US District Clown Judge and Defacto POTUS Bozoberg
And he has to pay The Atlantic $2,454,700.
Evidently the random list spinner only has one name in it, or something.
Biasberg should recuse due to established bias.
Amazingly swift action from a man imbued with inaction
Makes you think, doesn’t it….
It’s interesting that he’s not done any heavy lifting, nor cleaned house like Tulsi. So why would the leftist media want to get rid of him?
He’s playing their songs.
Maybe he’s getting close to taking action they don’t like?
I think the only one I love more is “Gonna Buy me a Condo”
I was waiting in the express lane with my twelve items or less
At the checkout counter at the local grocery store
I was only passin’ by but a paper caught my eye
And I learned a few things I never knew before
It said, “Your pet may be an extraterrestrial”
It said, “The ghost of Elvis is living in my den
You can learn to cope with stress and you can beat the IRS
And the incredible frog boy is on the loose again”
Oh, Midnight Star
It’s in the weekly Midnight Star
Aliens from outer space are sleeping in my car
Midnight Star, I wanna know, I wanna know
Eat jelly doughnuts and lose twenty pounds a day
Hear the story of the man born without a head
And top psychics all agree that the telephone company
Will have a brand new service that lets you talk to the dead
Oh, Midnight Star
You can believe it if you read it in the weekly Midnight Star
They’re keeping Hitler’s brain alive inside a jar
Midnight Star, I wanna know, I wanna know
(Tell me, tell me, tell me how to make my bust line grow)
Midnight Star, I wanna know
Oh, Midnight Star, well, don’t cha know that I read it
I read it in the weekly Midnight Star
The UFO’s have landed and we’ll tell you where they are
Midnight Star, I wanna know, I wanna know
Well, you can read all about it in the weekly Midnight Star
You can use your ESP to learn to play guitar
I wanna know, I wanna know
He definitely has these attorneys on permanent retainer. From Wikipedia, he seems to file suits at a provocation. And he’s never won a lawsuit.
“In October 2019, Patel filed a $44-million defamation suit against The New York Times, and the next month he sued Politico for $25 million, over articles reporting that NSC colleagues had grown concerned he was giving President Trump Ukraine-related materials.[165][17][166] The articles drew on Fiona Hill’s testimony in the impeachment inquiry into Trump; Patel said the outlets reported secondhand speculation as established fact and that he had never communicated with Trump about Ukraine.[167] Patel’s lawyers moved to dismiss both lawsuits in 2021; according to the Times, Patel did not pursue his case against the paper, while Politico’s lawyers suggested that the judge was prepared to dismiss the case.[165]
In December 2020, Patel sued CNN for $50 million for defamation over articles connecting him to efforts to spread conspiracy theories about Joe Biden. The trial court dismissed the case, and in January 2025 the Virginia Court of Appeals affirmed, ruling that Patel, as a public official, had failed to adequately plead that CNN acted with actual malice.[168]
In May 2023, Patel sued the Department of Defense over delays in the prepublication review of his memoir, Government Gangsters. The book was published later that year.[165] In June, he sued Jim Stewartson, an online commentator, for defamation over accusations that Patel was a “Kremlin asset” and had planned the January 6 attack. In August 2025, a federal judge issued a default judgment awarding Patel and his foundation $250,000 after Stewartson failed to respond to the lawsuit.[169]
In September 2024, Patel sued FBI director Christopher A. Wray and other Department of Justice officials, arguing that a 2017 grand jury subpoena for his communication records was retaliation for his work on the Nunes memo.[165][170] The case was dismissed; Judge Amit Mehta ruled the lawsuit did not establish a Fourth Amendment violation and that the defendants were entitled to qualified immunity.[170]
In June 2025, Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI assistant director, over comments Figliuzzi made on MSNBC’s Morning Joe suggesting Patel spent more time in nightclubs than at FBI headquarters.[171] MSNBC issued a correction, and Patel’s complaint stated he had “not spent a single minute inside of a nightclub” since becoming director.[172] Figliuzzi moved to dismiss, calling the suit “performative” and arguing that “no reasonable viewer would have understood the remark as literal fact.”[173]
In April 2026, Patel filed a defamation suit against The Atlantic magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick over an earlier published article alleging that Patel had alarmed colleagues due to alleged excessive drinking episodes and unexplained absences. Patel is seeking $250 million in damages, with The Atlantic calling the suit “meritless” and that they stand behind their reporting.[174]“
FBI Director Patel announced the defamation lawsuit and, through his lawyer Binnall Law Group, filed it at the earliest possible time.
As the hit piece trageted a public figure with bad intent, a judge has to qualify their statements that it was made with knowledge of or reckless disregard for its falsity. Privious, Patel has been awarded damages for defamation
I stand with Kash Patel.
Kash Patel knows that PDJT can call him at all times of the day and night and he must be fully functional.
This has the ring of Deep State malicious gossip.
Mr. Patel is the Dave Ramsey FBI director.
All about “Kash” only, and no “charges”
Other media outlets have been digging and can find no record of Patel having alcohol issues.
Kash came from the Swamp and wants to be able to play in the Swamp for a long time to come. So he ain’t going to rock the boat and attack the Swamp.
Now wouldn’t it be funny for the Atlantic of all things to be the cause for Kash Patel to lose his job?!
Maybe this is why they’re after Patel: “Kash Patel Vows Arrests Are Coming for Those Who Rigged 2020 Election” ( https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2026/04/20/kash-patel-arrests-tied-to-2020-election-are-imminent-n2674742 )
From the article:
“FBI Director Kash Patel said the Bureau found evidence supporting President Donald Trump’s assertion that the 2020 election was rigged and that arrests could come as soon as this week.”
“During an appearance on Fox News, Patel said Democrats “not only personally attacked the presidency of the United States and President Trump, but tried to thwart our elections and rig the entire system.””
The Promethian Action video Sundance just posted agrees with Patel’s claim. And so does Sundance, it seems.
I am excited to watch this play out.