FBI Director Kash Patel threatened to file a lawsuit against The Atlantic Friday over a “categorically false and defamatory” report alleging “bouts of excessive drinking” have negatively impacted his leadership of the bureau.
“Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court — bring your checkbook,” Patel said in a statement included in the piece.
“They were on notice that the claims were categorically false and defamatory.
3 Patel’s lawyer shared a letter he sent The Atlantic before the “hit piece” was published.
Erica Knight, the FBI director’s communication strategist, described the story as one “every real DC reporter chased, couldn’t verify, and passed on.”.
A paragraph — I’m not kidding — about the FBI Store not carrying ‘intimidating enough’ merchandise,” Knight wrote on X.
In an interview on MS NOW, Fitzpatrick maintained that she stood by her reporting. »