Alexis Wilkins Sues MS NOW for $75,000 Over FBI Resource Misuse Story

7 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 1

Federal court filings in Nashville show Alexis Wilkins sued MS NOW, Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig, seeking a jury trial and more than $75,000 in damages.
The suit says a Dec. 5 article falsely claimed Kash Patel ordered agents protecting Wilkins to drive an intoxicated friend home after partying, even though her lawyers say no such security detail existed then.
Wilkins' attorneys argue the report also created a false impression that she was drinking, despite her being sober or rarely drinking; the complaint says an FBI spokesman told reporters before publication that she "doesn't even drink."
MS NOW said it stands firmly behind its reporting and would not comment further on ongoing litigation.
The case adds to a broader legal push around Patel's media coverage: two of Wilkins' lawyers also represent him in a separate defamation suit against The Atlantic over an April article alleging excessive drinking.

Did FBI Director Patel misuse a security detail for his girlfriend, or did the media invent the entire story?

Can a lawsuit by the FBI Director's girlfriend dismantle a key legal protection for the free press?