Atlantic writer sued by Kash Patel says she's been 'inundated' with new sources corroborating her reporting

Atlantic writer sued by Kash Patel says she’s been ‘inundated’ with new sources corroborating her reporting

Sarah Fitzpatrick reiterates that she stands by ‘every single word’ of her story and says the people she spoke to were ‘frightened’ by the FBI director’s alleged conduct creating a national security vulnerability

Joe Sommerlad
Friday 24 April 2026 09:16 EDT

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/kash-patel-atlantic-sarah-fitzpatrick-b2964245.html

Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic investigative journalist behind last week’s bombshell story about FBI Director Kash Patel, has said she has since been “inundated” with messages from new sources corroborating her reporting.

Fitzpatrick’s story alleged that Patel drinks to excess – so much so that, in one instance, breaching equipment was ordered to break into a locked bedroom when he did not respond to inquiries about his well-being. The profile and also characterized him as deeply paranoid about being fired by President Donald Trump.

Patel has denied the allegations, dismissed the article as a “hit piece,” and, on Monday, launched a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine.

“I can say unequivocally that I never listen to the fake news mafia,” he said at a Department of Justice press conference Tuesday. “And when they get louder, it just means I’m doing my job.”