The lawsuit accuses the publication and a staff writer of publishing false claims based on anonymous sources in an article Patel calls a “malicious hit piece.”
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against The Atlantic’s parent company and one of its journalists, seeking $250 million in damages over an article alleging excessive alcohol use.
The 19-page complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, names Atlantic Monthly Group LLC and staff writer Sarah Fitzpatrick as defendants. Patel alleges the publication disseminated false claims in what he described as a “sweeping, malicious and defamatory hit piece” intended to damage his reputation and force him from office.
In the filing, Patel states that while the press has the right to scrutinize public officials, the article crossed legal boundaries. He wrote that the defendants “are of course free to criticize the leadership of the FBI, but they crossed the legal line by publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy” his standing.
The lawsuit further contends that the reporting relied entirely on anonymous sources. Patel alleges Fitzpatrick “could not get a single person to go on the record in defense of these outrageous allegations,” and instead depended on individuals he claims were politically motivated and lacked direct knowledge of the facts.
The article at the center of the dispute, referenced in reporting by CNBC, cited more than two dozen unnamed sources and included allegations that Patel frequently consumed alcohol to the point of visible intoxication. It also claimed that members of his security detail had difficulty waking him at times due to apparent inebriation.
Patel’s legal action follows public statements over the weekend in which he indicated he would pursue litigation against the magazine. The case now moves forward in federal court as both sides prepare to present their arguments regarding the accuracy of the reporting and the standards for defamation involving public officials.