The FBI chief’s huge lawsuit against the magazine that claimed to be a “security risk”

FBI Director Kash Patel this week filed a huge $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine, following an article published over the weekend in which it was reported that he consumed alcohol excessively and was frequently absent from work for no apparent reason. Patel claimed that the claims in the article were “definitely and clearly false”.

According to the attorneys of the head of the FBI, the published article is a “broad, malicious and defamatory assassination article”, and as a result, Patel is demanding $250 million in damages from the magazine. Patel denied that he consumed alcohol abnormally, denied that he mistakenly thought he had been fired (as the article claimed) and denied that he used his power against political opponents.

The Atlantic made it clear that they do not intend to back down from the FBI chief’s lawsuit. “We stand behind our reporting on Kash Patel, and will resolutely defend the magazine and our journalists in the face of this baseless lawsuit,” the prestigious magazine said.

In the extensive article published in the Atlantic, which is one of the most respected magazines in the US, it was reported that Patel was locked out of the FBI’s internal computer system – which made him think he had been fired by the White House and led him to call a number of associates in a panic. Patel admitted that he was locked out of the system, but claimed that it was a routine malfunction, and denied that he called his associates in a panic.

The article also claims that Patel consumes alcohol excessively and is often absent from the organization’s headquarters. He is also accused of firing employees and using a polygraph to test personal loyalty. Officials in the organization were quoted in the article as defining his tenure as an administrative failure and a risk to state security.

Patel, by virtue of being a public figure, will have to meet a higher standard of proof than an ordinary citizen to win his claim. He will have to prove in court that not only did the Atlantic’s article contain lies, but also malicious intent.

Patel’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions by the Trump administration against media outlets for negative coverage. In recent months, President Trump has conducted legal proceedings against, among others, CNN, the BBC, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.