Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic for $250 million. The FBI Director announced the suit after the magazine reported a bombshell article detailing his alleged drunken conduct on the job. Citing dozens of sources who have worked with Patel, The Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick reported that, among other things, Patel “has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.” She writes:
“Several officials told me that Patel’s drinking has been a recurring source of concern across the government. They said that he is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication, in many cases at the private club Ned’s in Washington, D.C., while in the presence of White House and other administration staff. He is also known to drink to excess at the Poodle Room, in Las Vegas, where he frequently spends parts of his weekends. Early in his tenure, meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later in the day as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights, six current and former officials and others familiar with Patel’s schedule told me.
“On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for ‘breaching equipment’—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request.”
Yikes. The cynical observer might conclude that Patel’s lawsuit is an attempt to save face with his boss, Donald Trump, by counter-punching with a big, showy, over-the-top gesture. Certainly it has been reported that Patel is paranoid about losing his job, including in The Atlantic’s piece. And the administration just saw its third high-profile departure in many months, with Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer leaving her post amid a cloud of scandal. Patel might see sticking it to the media as his best chance of hanging on—for now.
Whether he stays or goes, Patel’s tenure as FBI Director is already a historically disastrous one. He has flown around to UFC fights and his girlfriend’s concerts using a private jet, costing the taxpayers millions of dollars. He has failed to deliver on his signature promise of “restoring trust” at the FBI. He was filmed chugging beer with the USA hockey team. He has watched his deputy, Dan Bongino, depart to resume his life as a trash-talking podcaster. And now, he’s resorted to suing a magazine because it reported a well-sourced story about his alleged drunkenness on the job.
Meanwhile, news recently broke that FBI agents investigated New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson in response to her writing unfavorable stories about Patel and his girlfriend. Per the Times’ own writeup of the matter, this is “an example of the Trump administration examining whether to criminalize routine news gathering practices.” Ultimately the FBI said it is not pursuing a case, but this is still a chilling example of government power being weaponized against the free press, and of Patel spending his time on personal grievances instead of the actual work of keeping Americans safe.
It’s hard to see what Patel’s end-game is here. If anything, the lawsuit is likely to bring even more attention to the claims raised in The Atlantic’s article. But there is one recent precedent worth noting: The Wall Street Journal just prevailed in another, similar defamation lawsuit brought against it —in this case, by Trump himself. The judge dismissed Trump’s lawsuit on the grounds that “President Trump has not plausibly alleged that Defendants published the Article with actual malice”—a key standard for proving defamation. Maybe Patel should have read this ruling more closely.
The FBI Director is a crucial law enforcement position for protecting public safety. Having someone grossly incompetent at the helm of such an important organization poses a genuine risk to the lives of Americans. In the past Trump has called Patel “a wonderful guy, actually.” We’ll see how long that holds out.
Sarah Matthews is an Advisory Board Member and Spokesperson for Home of the Brave, which exists to show Americans the real-world consequences of this administration’s policies, and to highlight what bravery looks like in defense of American democracy. She was White House Deputy Press Secretary until she resigned on January 6, 2021.
