Kash Patel to sue The Atlantic over allegedly defamatory story
FBI Director Kash Patel joins Maria Bartiromo to discuss the ongoing investigation into 11 missing or deceased scientists with U.S. national security ties, potentially linked to foreign adversaries. He details China’s persistent cyberattacks and espionage against U.S. infrastructure and institutions. Patel vehemently denies The Atlantic’s allegations of excessive drinking and announces a defamation lawsuit, highlighting the FBI’s record-breaking crime reduction and efforts over 14 months.
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A left-wing lawfare group is trying to uncover records that might prove FBI Director Kash Patel engaged in behavior unfit for his role, such as “excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”
Democracy Forward, a group that supports left-wing policy positions in court on issues like DEI, immigration and abortion, sent a 16-page Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Justice Department on Tuesday. It asks for documents, schedules and communications that seek to prove allegations made against Patel in a recent article published by The Atlantic.
The report suggests the FBI Director has a drinking problem, poses a national security risk and is at the helm of persistent management failures at the bureau — and it comes as lawmakers warn Patel ‘is next’ after three Trump cabinet secretaries exited the administration in recent weeks.
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FBI Director Kash Patel arrives to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“Kash Patel should be next,” Democrat House Whip Katherine Clark said after news broke of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s exit Monday following a probe into her own alleged ethical lapses.
“Start the clock,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., added following the Atlantic’s report.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department, the FBI and representatives for Patel regarding the FOIA request, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Meanwhile, Patel filed earlier this week a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic for its reporting on his alleged conduct.
Democratic Party leadership warning the FBI and DOJ about its duty to preserve all records related to alleged incidents involving Patel that could become subject to a potential congressional inquiry. Then came the FOIA filing.
“Democracy Forward Foundation seeks records that would help the public understand the issues raised in the Atlantic article as it relates to previous reporting on potential concerns surrounding Director Patel’s ability to run a key law enforcement agency and his use of taxpayer dollars,” the group’s letter to the Justice Department states.
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The group is interested in Patel’s calendars, schedule, text messages and other electronic communications between himself and his staff. Democracy Forward also specifically asks for any records reflecting “a request for or use of ‘breaching equipment’ that was made by or used by Director Kash Patel’s security detail.”
FBI nominee Kash Patel and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse are shown in separate images. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images)
The request comes at a time when the DOJ is facing it’s own shake-up after Pam Bondi was ousted as Attorney General earlier this month.Todd Blanche, once Bondi’s deputy, is serving as Acting Attorney General.
When asked about Patel’s future as the top dog at the FBI, Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who has worked for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy, was more supportive of his tenure, arguing the FBI has seen positive change since Patel took charge.
“In the years leading up to President Trump being elected to his second term, the American people had lost confidence in the FBI as an institution. Kash Patel is part of President Trump’s goal of revitalizing the agency and executing on the “Make America Safe Again” agenda,” Bednar told Fox News Digital.
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President Donald Trump speaks alongside FBI Director Kash Patel during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 15, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A separate GOP strategist who requested anonymity argued that if Patel leaves it won’t be because of The Atlantic hit piece.
“If Kash Patel goes down, it won’t be because of a damaging Atlantic story, which is a badge of honor in this Administration,” they told Fox News Digital. “It’s more likely because the President views him as becoming a liability during a time of war, as well as a desire to clean house in one fell swoop as the midterms approach.”
“There’s already blood in the water with the three ousted Cabinet picks, and knocking out one more gives the President a chance to head into November with a refreshed slate and the best team around him.”
