Kash Patel has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, accusing the publication of publishing false claims that have damaged his reputation.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, relates to an article published in April which alleged that Patel had a pattern of excessive drinking and unexplained absences. The report, written by Sarah Fitzpatrick, cited roughly two dozen anonymous sources describing what they claimed was concerning behaviour.
Patel’s legal filing rejects those claims, arguing the sources cited had “obvious axes to grind” and that the allegations are entirely false. The complaint also states that both the White House and the Department of Justice had denied the claims prior to publication, and that a formal letter sent to the magazine before the article was released was ignored.
POLITICO reported that the allegations outlined in The Atlantic’s article have not been independently verified.
In response, The Atlantic said it stands by its reporting and described the lawsuit as without merit. The publication said it would defend both its journalism and its reporters.
In a statement released through his legal team, Patel said the article contained falsehoods and accused the publication of deliberately ignoring information that contradicted its claims. He added that the reporting would not affect his work or the mission of the FBI.
Patel is seeking $250 million in damages, along with any profits generated from the publication of the article. The case marks the latest legal action he has taken against media organizations, following a separate defamation lawsuit filed against POLITICO in 2019 that remains ongoing.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between senior officials and media outlets in the United States, particularly over the use of anonymous sources and the standards for investigative reporting.