Topline
The FBI defended Kash Patel on Thursday following a report by The Atlantic that claimed he distributed personally branded bourbon bottles to staff and civilians, saying the bureau director followed guidelines as he navigates separate accusations of excessive drinking that provoked him to file a lawsuit against The Atlantic.
Patel has sued The Atlantic.
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Key Facts
Ben Williamson, the FBI’s assistant director, told Forbes the bottles were commonplace in the FBI and were established as a tradition several years before Patel took up the mantle of director, though The Atlantic’s report suggested a tradition of handing out liquor bottles was not common before Patel’s tenure.
Williamson added that “Patel has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself,” accusing The Atlantic’s premise of being “false and misleading.”
The Atlantic published a story Wednesday that cited eight unnamed people including current and former FBI and Justice Department members who said it is “not unusual” for Patel to travel with a stash of personally branded bourbon from Kentucky distillery Woodford Reserve that bears an engraving of his name, which is stylized as “Ka$h” on the bottle.
The Atlantic, which said it purchased a bottle of the bourbon on an online auction, published photos of the bottle’s engraving that also allegedly features an FBI shield and an eagle holding the shield alongside the number nine—a possible reference to Patel’s role as the ninth FBI director.
Big Number
$250 million. That is how much Patel is seeking in damages in his lawsuit targeting The Atlantic for a separate story published last month that reported on internal claims that Patel has engaged in excessive drinking and had frequent absences while on the job.
Key Background
The Atlantic’s story on Patel’s alleged excessive drinking and absences cited over two dozen unnamed sources that included current and former FBI officials, members of Congress, law enforcement and former advisers. The report said the FBI director’s behavior has “often alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice” and that his conduct presents national security risks. Citing the Justice Department’s ethics handbook, The Atlantic reported department employees are “prohibited from habitually using alcohol or other intoxicants to excess.” Patel called the report “fake news,” vowed to sue the magazine and followed up with the lawsuit days after the story was published. He is accusing The Atlantic of defamation and says the claims of excessive drinking are sourced from “partisans with axes to grind and are not in a position to know the facts.” His lawsuit also accuses The Atlantic of ignoring a letter from Patel’s lawyers that allegedly said they refuted some of the claims in the story, arguing the ignored letter and an alleged refusal to extend the story’s deadline helps prove the “actual malice” standard needed to build a defamation lawsuit. The Atlantic has stood by its reporting.
Further Reading
Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic For $250M Over Drinking, Absentee Allegations (Forbes)
Kash Patel Promises He’ll Sue The Atlantic On Monday After Report Of Excessive Drinking (Forbes)