The Atlantic article, titled 'The FBI director is MIA' and published on April 17, alleged that Patel 'has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.' According to the report, based on interviews with more than two dozen current and former FBI officials, Patel has been 'erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has necessary evidence,' with some sources describing his behavior as a potential 'national-security vulnerability.' Reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick cited anonymous sources within the FBI that said Patel's alcohol intake made him unreachable at key moments and complicated the manhunt for conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassin. The article claimed that meetings had to be rescheduled because Patel had been drinking the night before, and that concerns had been raised internally about whether alcohol may have contributed to missteps in high-profile investigations. Agents allegedly had to use SWAT breaching equipment to break down his door on one occasion, and Patel allegedly spiraled into a nervous breakdown when he mistakenly believed he had been fired by President Trump, the article claimed. The article also claimed that staffers at one point struggled to reach Patel due to his alleged drinking, and that concerns within the bureau have intensified as his behavior grew more erratic.
Patel has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them false and part of a 'hit piece.' He is suing the publication for defamation and warned reporters they could face similar consequences if they echo the allegations. A defamation lawsuit seeking $250 million in damages was filed in US district court for the District of Columbia. Jesse R Binnall, a lawyer representing Patel, had sent a three-page, pre-publication letter threatening a lawsuit to Fitzpatrick, a veteran national security correspondent, and compelling her to retain her communications relevant to the story. At a press conference, Patel stated, 'I've never been intoxicated on the job and that is why we filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit.' He also addressed a viral video of him guzzling beer in February while celebrating with the US Olympics Men's Hockey team following their victory over Canada, dismissing it as irrelevant. Patel hit out at reporters asking him about the claims, declaring, 'I can say unequivocally that I never listen to the fake news mafia, and when they get louder, it just means I'm doing my job.'
I can say unequivocally that I never listen to the fake news mafia, and when they get louder, it just means I'm doing my job.
The allegations intersect with high-profile cases, including the aftermath of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours after Kirk's killing in September 2025, Patel took to X to announce that the 'subject' in Kirk's murder was finally 'in custody,' but he walked back his earlier statement shortly after, announcing that the suspect 'has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.' The Atlantic article linked this contradictory response to alleged drinking-related missteps, though Patel has not commented specifically on that connection. Meanwhile, the FBI has sacked at least 10 employees linked to the investigation into classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. According to multiple sources told CBS News, at least 10 FBI employees who worked on former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Trump's retention of classified records after he left the White House in 2021 were fired on Wednesday. Research indicates the FBI fired more people Thursday, with the rough estimate being about a dozen in total over two days. All of the FBI agents and analysts who were fired on Wednesday were involved with the classified documents case, according to reports. The dismissals occurred after Reuters reported that the FBI had subpoenaed records of phone calls made by FBI Director Kash Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles when they were still both private citizens as part of Smith's probe into Trump. Patel called the subpoenas 'outrageous,' claiming in a wire report that the FBI had secretly subpoenaed his phone records 'using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight.' Patel did not provide any evidence of wrongdoing by the staff who were terminated, and Reuters had not independently verified any of Patel's claims.
Special Counsel Jack Smith oversaw two federal probes into now-President Trump: one alleging he unlawfully tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and another focusing on his retention of classified documents and efforts to obstruct the Justice Department when it asked him to return the files. Smith's dual investigations into Mr. Trump led to the first federal criminal indictments against a former president in U.S. history. The investigation into classified documents, led by Smith, focused on Trump's handling of classified materials post-presidency, resulting in an FBI raid and a 37-count indictment. However, a federal judge dismissed the classified documents case against Trump in July 2024, deeming Special Counsel Jack Smith's appointment unconstitutional. Smith dropped the 2020 election charges after Mr. Trump won the 2024 race. Since then, the Trump administration has taken aim at federal employees who worked on the two cases. The Justice Department fired a group of prosecutors who worked on Smith's team, and the FBI has fired agents involved in the Arctic Frost election investigation. The investigations into Mr. Trump drew another round of controversy late last year, after the GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee revealed that the FBI obtained several Republican records, though the sentence from the source is incomplete.
I've never been intoxicated on the job and that is why we filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit.
Uncertainties surround the firings and investigations. CBS News was unable to verify whether Kash Patel's records were reviewed as part of the documents case, while a source familiar with the matter indicated that Susie Wiles' records were reviewed as part of the documents case. In the case involving the 2020 election, known as Arctic Frost, Patel's records were not subpoenaed, according to the source. The exact number of FBI employees fired in connection with the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation remains unclear, with estimates ranging from at least 10 to about a dozen over two days, and the specific reasons for each termination have not been publicly detailed.
Amid these developments, White House officials are reportedly discussing potential successors for FBI Director Kash Patel following the bombshell report by The Atlantic. The report, authored by journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, alleges that Patel exhibits excessive drinking and paranoid behaviour, causing alarm among agency officials. Patel has followed through on a threat to sue the Atlantic and the author of a story that included allegations of 'excessive drinking' as well as 'conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences' while in charge of the law enforcement agency. How the defamation lawsuit between Kash Patel and The Atlantic will proceed is unknown, including what evidence will be presented to support or refute the allegations of excessive drinking. Additionally, Patel and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a federal fraud indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday. Patel stopped short of providing any specifics about the alleged evidence, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. What specific evidence Patel has regarding alleged 2020 election fraud, and when arrests will be made, remains unspecified due to the ongoing investigation.
The problem with you and your baseless reporting is that is an absolute lie. It was never said. It never happened.
I am never going to let this go. They tried to rig the entire system. That's something I'm not going to allow.
We are going to be making arrests. It's coming. I promise you it's coming soon.
We have the information that backs President Trump's claim.
I can't get ahead of the DOJ and the president, but President Trump… speaks truthfully when he says that.
Stay tuned this week. You might see a thing or two.
Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court – bring your checkbook.
The Atlantic is nothing but diligent. We have amazing lawyers, amazing editors, and I stand by every word.
The FBI had secretly subpoenaed his phone records 'using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight.'