Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250 Million, Extending 6 Defamation Cases in 7 Years
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 14
Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250 Million, Extending 6 Defamation Cases in 7 Years
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 14
Summary
$250 million is what FBI Director Kash Patel is seeking from The Atlantic over an April article that said colleagues were alarmed by his “erratic” behavior and alleged heavy drinking.
The suit fits a pattern Patel began in 2019 after objecting to coverage of his role in Trump’s Ukraine dealings; he has since filed at least six defamation cases against media outlets and commentators.
Those targets have included Politico, The New York Times, CNN and blogger Jim Stewartson, whom Patel sued in 2023 for $10 million after criticism of his record.
Patel has not won a favorable jury verdict or reached a settlement in those cases, and several complaints have then languished in civil litigation, prompting legal experts to question whether the suits aim more to fight coverage than to prevail in court.
The strategy mirrors President Trump’s long-running use of lawsuits against unfavorable press, extending that approach into the tenure of a sitting FBI director.