FBI Director Kash Patel gets into heated argument with reporter over Atlantic article
FBI Director Kash Patel got into an argument with a journalist over questions about an article in The Atlantic about Patel’s drinking and unexplained absences.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are demanding that FBI Director Kash Patel submit to an alcohol-use test and publicly respond to allegations that his drinking and actions jeopardized national security.
In an April 21 letter, the committee’s Democratic members, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), called the 10-question Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) the U.S. and global “gold standard” for “assessing harmful alcohol consumption patterns” and “routinely used by individuals to identify risky drinking behaviors.”
The investigation comes less than a week after The Atlantic published a report in which more than 20 past and present bureau officials accused the FBI director of regularly drinking to excess and incapacitating him, a charge Patel denies.
Lawmakers asked Patel to complete the review and submit an affidavit certifying the accuracy of her answers by April 28 at 5 p.m. ET.
“The American people have the right to hear the facts directly from you now, not from their lawyers in the weeks and months ahead, and to decide for themselves whether your continued leadership of the FBI does in fact constitute a significant ‘national security vulnerability,'” the Democrats wrote.
Democrats seek bipartisan support
Since Republicans hold a majority on the House Judiciary Committee, Raskin and his colleagues also wrote to the committee’s chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), asking for bipartisan support for the investigation.
Democrats warned in a separate letter that if Patel does not respond to the request, the committee should require him to testify under oath in person.
“Given the seriousness of the national security risks associated with these allegations, please make it clear that if the Secretary is unable to provide the requested information by next week’s deadline, the Committee will require the Secretary to appear in person under oath at an in-person hearing that addresses the Commissioner’s well-founded concerns,” the lawmakers wrote.
Violating federal law?
Patel’s relationship with alcohol came to the fore after a video of him celebrating with the U.S. men’s hockey team after winning an Olympic gold medal went viral. Sources who spoke to The Atlantic suggested his drinking was much more than just a celebration.
The magazine article cited unnamed current and former co-workers of Patel who allege that he frequently disappears for long periods of time and is sometimes too drunk or hungover to work.
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee specifically cited Patel’s “inability to control[her]impulses,” as evidenced by her “delays in making critical decisions to advance terrorist investigations” and premature announcements after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the Brown University shootings.
Patel’s alleged drinking disorder could violate federal law and the Justice Department’s ethics handbook, committee members argue. The handbook prohibits all department employees from “habitually consuming excessive amounts of intoxicating beverages.”
“(Mr. Patel’s) impulsive habits clearly had a disastrous effect on his performance as FBI director and impaired the FBI’s ability to conduct and pursue high-stakes investigations,” the lawmakers said.
According to Reuters, after the article was published, the FBI director filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks $250 million in damages.
“The Atlantic story is a lie,” Patel told Reuters. “They were told the truth before publication, but chose to publish the falsehood anyway.”
Contributed by: Reuters
