The head of the FBI sued Atlantic magazine for $250 million for defamation

FBI director Kash Patel on Monday sued Atlantic magazine for $250 million for defamation in connection with Friday's publication, which stated, among other things, that the FBI director regularly gets drunk in public and his behavior raises concerns in Donald Trump's administration.

The letter cited six current and former officials and other people with knowledge of the FBI chief's schedule. The lawsuit filed on Monday argues that these sources were “incapable of knowing the facts” and that the publication is part of a broader smear campaign against Patel.

“A reasonable request for additional time to respond to 19 detailed, albeit absurd, allegations was denied. A detailed pre-publication letter from an attorney pointing out specific falsehoods and providing contrary evidence was ignored. Director Patel himself was not interviewed nor was he given any real opportunity to address the allegations in his own words. This is not negligence. This demonstrates deliberate and harmful defamation,” the lawsuit said.

In a statement, an Atlantic spokesman emphasized that the magazine stands by its reports about Patel and will defend the magazine and its journalists against this “baseless lawsuit.”

On Friday, the magazine wrote that Patel regularly gets drunk in public and that his behavior is known to the president's administration and causes it concern. According to the magazine, on several occasions over the past year, members of the security service had difficulty waking up Patel, who appeared to be drunk. In one case, breaching equipment typically used by counterterrorism units was requested because the FBI director was unavailable behind closed doors.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to the Atlantic that the FBI director remains a “key player in the administration's law and order team.”

According to “Atlantica”, Patel is worried about his job, and the administration is already talking about his possible successor. After the publication, there were calls among Democrats for Patel to leave office.

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)

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