The FBI has denied reports of investigating Atlantic journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick over her story on Kash Patel's alleged misconduct. According to MS NOW, the FBI launched a criminal leak investigation focusing on Fitzpatrick after her report cited multiple anonymous sources describing Patel’s excessive drinking and unprofessional behavior.
Key Takeaways
The FBI has denied reports of investigating Atlantic journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick over her story on Kash Patel's alleged misconduct. According to MS NOW, the FBI launched a criminal leak investigation focusing on Fitzpatrick after her report cited multiple anonymous sources describing Patel’s excessive drinking and unprofessional behavior.
- The FBI denies any investigation into Fitzpatrick or her reporting methods.
- Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over the story, which he claims is false.
- Legal commentators widely believe Patel's lawsuit will likely fail as it does not allege classified information was leaked.
- This alleged investigation follows previous attempts by Patel’s bureau to intimidate journalists.
The Atlantic published a piece by reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick headlined, 'The FBI Director Is MIA,' which cited multiple anonymous sources telling the outlet that the FBI director had an emotional outburst related to difficulty logging into a computer system, has had bouts of excessive drinking, and has been absent enough to prompt security concerns. Patel quickly filed a $250 million lawsuit on the defamatory hit piece, previously told Fox News Digital, 'The Atlantic's story is a lie.'
The FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson denied the investigation into Fitzpatrick stating that every time there’s a publication of false claims by anonymous sources that gets called out, the media plays the victim via investigations that do not exist. The Atlantic has stood by its story and MS NOW reported that the alleged FBI probe could be used to access Fitzpatrick’s phone records and examine social media contacts.
Patel also described finding the FBI's 'burn bag' room full of sensitive documents tied to the Russiagate investigation. This is not the first time Patel’s bureau has tried to intimidate journalists, as in March 2024, the FBI began investigating New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson over reporting about Patel allegedly using bureau resources to expense security and transportation for his girlfriend.
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