- FBI director Kash Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine and journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, claiming a profile published about him this weekend constitutes a “sweeping, malicious and defamatory hit piece.”
- The Atlantic article characterized Patel as deeply paranoid and prone to excessive drinking, which has reportedly alarmed officials within President Donald Trump's administration.
- “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 Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office,” Patel’s suit states.
- Patel is seeking a minimum of $250 million in compensatory, special, and punitive damages, alongside the disgorgement of all income earned by the defendants from the article.
- “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,” the outlet told The Independent in a statement.
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