Patel Sues Atlantic for $250M Over Defamation Claims

0:00On April 20th, Cash Patel, the FBI director, just bowed a massive defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic and its reporter, Sara Fitzpatrick. He's seeking $250 million in damages over an article from April 17th that accused him of excessive drinking, showing up, intoxicated and missing meetings early in his tenure. Patel's team calls it a total hit job full of lies from anonymous sources. The story relied on six current and former officials who claimed Patel's late nights with booze forced rescheduling of briefings. His lawyers fired back, saying the magazine ignored their denials, rushed the response time and pushed it anyway with actual malice. They argued no one went on record because the claims were fabricated by biased folks out of the loop. Patel had warned them ahead of time with a legal letter, even saying printed and he'd see them in court. The Atlantic's not backing down, with a spokesperson vowing to fight this lawsuit hard and standing by every detail in the reporting.

1:00Editor Jeffrey Goldberg echoed that over the weekend and Fitzpatrick doubled down on TV, praising her team's diligence. Patel's attorney Jesse Benal posted online that defamatory speech isn't protected and they're holding them accountable. This suit ramps up the ongoing war between the Trump team and the media, with lawsuits bouncing both ways, expect more fireworks as it plays out in D.C. Court.