On Friday, April 17th, The Atlantic published a 2,000-word story about the F.B.I. director Kash Patel’s alleged excessive drinking. The piece recounted multiple sources’ serious concerns about the drinking—how it was affecting Patel’s ability to deal with F.B.I. matters and, potentially, putting national security at risk. The reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick, said that she had spoken to dozens of sources, including current and former F.B.I. officials, Department of Justice officials, lawyers, lobbyists, and hospitality workers, who painted a picture of a director who frequently gets visibly drunk at night clubs. Patel’s drinking allegedly resulted in him often being unavailable to fulfill his duties or asleep at critical times. When asked for comment, he told The Atlantic, “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court—bring your checkbook.”
“Notwithstanding the convoluted grammar of the statement, Patel was more or less true to his word,” Fabio Bertoni writes. On Monday, April 20th, Patel filed a $250-million lawsuit against the Atlantic Monthly Group, the publisher of The Atlantic, and Fitzpatrick. Bertoni breaks down the case: www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/kash-patel...