FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic for defamation, while the media outlet said that it stands by its reporting.
Patel's lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the media outlet published a story about his alleged erratic behavior and concerns over how it could impact national security.
The Atlantic’s story was initially titled “Kash Patel's Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job," in which anonymous sources expressed concern over Patel’s “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” that “alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice.
The story, which was later titled “The FBI Director Is MIA” in its online version, claimed that the agency was forced to reschedule meetings due to Patel’s “alcohol-fueled nights” and that he was often difficult to reach, resulting in a delay in “time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations.”
“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 states.
The Atlantic said it’s prepared to fight Patel in court.
The White House told The Atlantic that Patel remains a major player on Trump’s law and order team and credited him for decreases in the crime rate.
Trump himself has filed defamation lawsuits against the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Trump has refiled his lawsuit against the New York Times and may refile against the Wall Street Journal.