FBI Director Kash Patel has initiated a lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine, seeking $250 million in damages for defamation. The lawsuit stems from an article that claims Patel has a problem with alcohol.
The article, titled 'Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job,' was published on Friday and alleged that Patel had episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.
Patel has filed a 19-page lawsuit in the U.S. District Court located in Washington, D.C., naming The Atlantic and the article's author, Sarah Fitzpatrick, as defendants.
The lawsuit claims that the article was published with actual malice, despite being warned that the central allegations were false.
Patel's lawsuit enumerates 17 specific assertions made by the article as being part of the purportedly 'numerous false and defamatory statements of fact' regarding him.
The Atlantic has responded to the lawsuit, stating that they stand by their reporting and will vigorously defend themselves against the claims.
