Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking

Politics FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking, absences By Jacob Rosen, Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump's 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Read Full Bio Jacob Rosen, Sarah N. Lynch Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch Updated on: April 20, 2026 / 10:38 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine on Monday, saying a recent story about his alleged frequent drinking and absences included "false and obviously fabricated" claims.The 19-page lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, is seeking $250 million in damages. Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter who wrote the story, is also named as a defendant.Patel and the FBI have repeatedly denied allegations in the story, which included allegations that Patel often drinks to excess. The piece, which cited multiple unnamed current and former officials, also said that Patel's "irregular presence at FBI headquarters and in field offices" has delayed "time-sensitive decisions" that require the FBI director's input.The lawsuit listed 17 allegations in the article that Patel's legal team alleges were "false and defamatory statements of fact," including that he "is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication.""Each of the foregoing statements and implications is false. They are so demonstrably and obviously false, or easily refuted, that it was at best reckless to publish them," the suit said.CBS News has reached out to Patel's lawyer, Jesse Binnall, for additional comment. A spokesperson for The Atlantic did not immediately respond to a re...