FBI Director Kash Patel and his legal team threatened a lawsuit against The Atlantic, Friday night (US time) after the US news agency published a “bombshell” report about the Donald Trump aide’s alleged erratic behaviour on the job. The Indian-origin official has repeatedly been at the centre of controversies surrounding his purported private use of the FBI jet at the behest of taxpayer-funded money.

Taking to his official X account on April 17, Patel publicly waged a war against the Washington DC-based multi-platform publisher and Sarah Fitzpatrick, the journalist behind the lengthy report rife with hefty allegations. “See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court,” Patel wrote online. “But do keep at it with the fake news, actual malice standard is now what some would call a legal lay up.”

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Alongside his tweet, he attached a screenshot of an emailed response Ben Williamson, Assistant Director – FBI Office of Public Affairs, had previously shared with The Atlantic writer. Therein, Williamson called the explosive report “one of the most absurd things” he’d ever read, while also branding it “completely false.”

Kash Patel’s legal team speaks out

Veteran litigator Jesse R Binnall also took to his X handle to release the lengthy letter Patel’s side sent to The Atlantic and Sarah Fitzpatrick before the article incriminating the FBI director had been published. “They were on notice that the claims were categorically false and defamatory,” the Binnall Law Group exec tweeted. “They published anyway. See you in court.”

The formal letter warned Fitzpatrick that if the “false allegations” against Patel were to be published, the FBI chief would take swift legal action to “uphold his reputation.” The official message further highlighted that The Atlantic sent FBI a “request for comment” via an email containing “19 substantive claims about Director Patel,” which his side has described as “false, unsourced and facially defamatory.”

As seen in Patel’s tweet as well, the FBI Office of Public Affairs, responded to the claims through Assistant Director Williamson, blasting the allegations. The letter addressing the serious accusations then went on to enlist seven “defamatory assertions” in question. The first one flagged as ‘Claim #5’ alleges, “Director drinks ‘to the point of apparent intoxication’ at Ned’s (DC) and The Poodle Room (Las Vegas) ‘in the presence of White House and other administration staff.'”

Another suggested that members of Patel’s security detail had faced difficulty in waking the seemingly intoxicated FBI director on multiple occasions. The information was reportedly also supplied to the Department of Justice and White House officials.

‘Claim #8’ alleged that an “unresponsive” Patel “behind locked doors” had prompted the request for “breaching equipment” at headquarters. A following claim went on to accuse Patel of exhibiting conduct that may be deemed a “threat to public safety,” including in “event of a domestic terrorist attack.”

‘Claim #11’ argued that by “dragging his feet on terror cases,” Patel was delaying or refusing FISA warrants. ‘Claim #14’ alleged that alcohol had pushed Patel to make public statements about active investigations, “including the murder of Charlie Kirk.” Moreover, ‘Claim #19’ pressed the FBI director had the the security detail shut down the FBI Association Store so that he could shop alone and later expressed frustration that merchandise “wasn’t intimidating enough.”

Even Patel’s communication strategist, Erica Knight, spoke out against The Atlantic for publishing a “bombshell” report that couldn’t be verified and was largely source-based. In addition to accusing the news outlet of publishing fabricated stories, Knight defended Patel’s leadership, saying: “Here’s reality. Since being sworn in, Director Patel has taken a grand total of 17 days off — half as much time off as Comey and Wray — and he spends twice as much time in the office as either of them ever did.

“The so-called “intoxication incidents” The Atlantic breathlessly reports have happened exactly ZERO times. Under his tenure: 67,000 arrests nationwide. Violent crime arrests up 112%. Murder rate down 20%. 1,800 criminal gangs dismantled. 2,200+ kilos of fentanyl seized — enough to kill 178 million Americans. 300 human traffickers arrested. 6,200+ missing children recovered.

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“1,700 online predators arrested — a 490% increase. 8 of the Top Ten Most Wanted captured, double the previous four years combined. 1,000+ agents redeployed from DC bureaucracy back to field offices chasing criminals.”

Sarah Fitzpatrick responds to ‘unverified’ reporting

On her part, The Atlantic’s staff writer covering national security and the US Justice Department asserted online that she was in touch with “2 dozen people familiar with Patel’s conduct” for her article titled “The FBI Director is MIA,” which was published on April 17 (US time). Taking to her X account, she claimed that the people she had spoken to had described the situation as a “national security vulnerability.”

“In response to 19 detailed questions, Patel said: ‘Print it, all false. I’ll see you in court – bring your checkbook,'” she wrote on X.

She has since sat down with MS Now’s Jen Psaki as well to discuss her report. Responding to the lawsuit threats against her, Fitzpatrick told the fellow reporter, “I am a very careful, very diligent, award-winning investigative reporter with a history of award-winning work across multiple organisations.” Firmly standing by every word of her report, Sarah hit back saying, “We have excellent attorneys, and it’s a surprising statement. A very telling statement, I believe.”

According to Fitzpatrick’s account, her side reached out to both the White House and the Justice Department for comment, but neither of them disputed anything.