Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking

Washington — FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation suit against The Atlantic mag connected Monday, saying a recent story astir his alleged predominant drinking and absences included "false and evidently fabricated" claims.

The 19-page lawsuit, filed successful the District of Columbia, is seeking $250 cardinal successful damages. Sarah Fitzpatrick, the newsman who wrote the story, is besides named arsenic a defendant.

Patel and the FBI person repeatedly denied allegations successful the story, which included allegations that Patel often drinks to excess. The piece, which cited aggregate unnamed existent and erstwhile officials, besides said that Patel's "irregular beingness astatine FBI office and successful tract offices" has delayed "time-sensitive decisions" that necessitate the FBI director's input.

The suit listed 17 allegations successful the nonfiction that Patel's ineligible squad alleges were "false and defamatory statements of fact," including that helium "is known to portion to the constituent of evident intoxication."

"Each of the foregoing statements and implications is false. They are truthful demonstrably and evidently false, oregon easy refuted, that it was astatine champion reckless to people them," the suit said.

CBS News has reached retired to Patel's lawyer, Jesse Binnall, for further comment. A spokesperson for The Atlantic did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected the lawsuit.