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FBI Director Kash Patel followed through on his promise to sue The Atlantic for defamation after the magazine published an explosive story on Friday evening, alleging heavy drinking and job performance issues.
He is demanding $250 million in damages.
The lawsuit alleges that The Atlantic and the article’s writer, Sarah Fitzpatrick, knowingly published defamatory information about Patel’s alleged drinking at private clubs in Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, claiming that he was at times “unreachable.”
“Defendants published the Article with actual malice, despite being expressly warned, hours before publication, that the central allegations were categorically false; despite having abundant publicly available information contradicting those allegations,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit alleges that the publication has “pre-existing animus” against Director Patel. It also includes some of the “historic law enforcement results” Patel has apparently achieved since he was sworn in as director.
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