FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick over an article about his conduct in office.
The lawsuit, filed in a US District Court in Washington, claims the report falsely portrayed Patel as unfit for his role.
According to CNN, the complaint says the article “falsely assert” that Patel “is a habitual drunk, unable to perform the duties of his office, is a threat to public safety, is vulnerable to foreign coercion, has violated DOJ ethics rules, is unreachable in emergencies, has required the deployment of ‘breaching equipment’ to extract him from locked rooms, allows alcohol to influence his public statements about criminal investigations, and behaves erratically in a manner that compromises national security.”
The lawsuit further alleges the publication acted with “actual malice,” a legal standard requiring proof that journalists knowingly published false information or showed reckless disregard for the truth.
The Atlantic has rejected the claims, as a spokesperson told CNN: “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.”
Fitzpatrick said she interviewed “more than two dozen people” for the report, who “described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability.”
Legal experts say the case faces a high bar in court, as defamation claims involving public figures are often dismissed before reaching trial.
