The Atlantic Reports FBI Director Kash Patel Absent, Inebriated on Job
Anonymous sources claim Patel’s erratic behavior and alcohol-related incidents have alarmed officials at FBI and DOJ; Patel threatens lawsuit
Quick Look
- The Atlantic published a story alleging FBI Director Kash Patel has been conspicuously intoxicated and frequently absent from work, citing more than two dozen anonymous sources.
- The report claims the FBI had to reschedule early meetings due to Patel’s alcohol-fuelled nights and that he is often unreachable, delaying time-sensitive investigative decisions.
- The White House, Department of Justice, and Patel himself have denied the allegations, with Patel calling the story "a lie" and threatening to sue the publication.
AI-generated summary
The Atlantic published a story alleging FBI Director Kash Patel has been conspicuously intoxicated and frequently absent from work, citing more than two dozen anonymous sources. The article, initially titled "Kash Patel's Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job," reported that officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice were alarmed by Patel's "conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences."
The Atlantic's online version, titled "The FBI Director Is MIA," reported that during Patel's tenure, the FBI had to reschedule early meetings "as a result of his alcohol-fuelled nights" and that Patel "is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations."
The White House, the Department of Justice, and Patel himself denied the allegations. The article included a statement from the FBI attributed to Patel: "Print it, all false, I'll see you in court – bring your checkbook."
"The Atlantic's story is a lie," Patel said in an interview with Reuters. "They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway."
Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said in a statement to CNBC after Patel threatened to sue the publication on Sunday in an appearance on Fox News: "We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel."
