FBI Director Kash Patel Sues Magazine Over Drinking Claims

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel is suing a magazine over claims about his drinking habits, though records show he previously disclosed two alcohol-related arrests, AlterNet reported.

FBI Director Kash Patel faces scrutiny over past alcohol-related incidents. (Photo: Gage Skidmore Flickr)

Personnel records from the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, where Patel worked after passing the Florida Bar in 2005, were published by The Intercept. 

The file includes a letter Patel wrote, at his employer’s request, disclosing two prior incidents.

The first occurred in 2001 at the University of Richmond, where Patel was removed from a basketball arena for excessive behavior and arrested for public intoxication. He was under 21 at the time and later paid a fine.

In 2005, Patel and several friends were arrested in New York after attempting to urinate in public following a night of drinking. He again paid a fine.

Patel is suing The Atlantic for $250 million over a report alleging he had been intoxicated at private clubs in Washington and Las Vegas, and that his drinking had become “a recurring source of concern across the government.”