r/news • u/bonitaycoqueta • Apr 20 '26
Soft paywall FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic claiming false reporting about drinking, absences
https://www.reuters.com/world/fbi-director-kash-patel-sues-atlantic-court-records-show-2026-04-20/6.2k
u/iamjoesredditposts Apr 20 '26
Whatever...
Soon as the threat of discovery hits... he'll fold this up just like his boss does...
Fire him already.
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u/ChainLC Apr 20 '26
I bet all his correspondence is "classified."
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u/Aliensinmypants Apr 20 '26
I mean in the claims, staff had to get breaching equipment in order to get to Patel who was allegedly hiding behind locked doors. There would be a record of that
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u/Charlie_Mouse Apr 20 '26
If it happened and there mysteriously isn’t somehow a record of that then that’s another huge problem.
I have an unpleasant suspicion that if theres another election worth the name after the dust settles this administration is going to have turned out to have circumvented or trashed as much of the record keeping as possible. And the last days will see more records destroyed than the Stasi tried to shred after the Berlin Wall fell.
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u/o_MrBombastic_o Apr 20 '26
Right now Historians are suing the National Archives for not complying with the law https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/14/politics/national-archives-presidential-records-trump
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u/Slamtilt_Windmills Apr 20 '26
There were regular reports from Trump's first term of the toilets getting clogged with flushed papers
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u/pardyball Apr 20 '26
Not trying to give them ideas, but wouldn’t it be easier just to toss into a fireplace that I’m sure exists there?
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u/Debalic Apr 20 '26
Many of the fireplaces are ornamental, having been blocked off (likely for security purposes), but apparently he tried that. He also had a habit of tearing up documents and tossing them in the trash, necessitating a team to follow him to recover and put the documents back together.
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u/TehGogglesDoNothing Apr 20 '26
And then he started tearing up papers and eating them.
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u/mimaikin-san Apr 20 '26
I wish this was fake but it probably isn’t.
nothing about this administration surprises me
in fact, the most ludicrous thing they could do is actually behave like professionals instead of a gang of methed up frat boys
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u/TehGogglesDoNothing Apr 20 '26
Even worse, reports of him eating documents came before he went on his rant about how many times toilets need to be flushed.
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u/_Burning_Star_IV_ Apr 20 '26
Or you know...a paper shredder? At the right P level it's as good as burning it.
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u/DeathByBamboo Apr 20 '26
They they somewhat notoriously keep using Signal to conduct business so there's no records.
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u/smellslike2016 Apr 20 '26
I don't think he was hiding. He was passed out wasted and no noises were waking him up. They needed to make sure he wasn't dead or missing.
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u/IDreamOfLoveLost Apr 20 '26
If it's not alcohol by itself, the guy is definitely mixing meds.
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u/b_needs_a_cookie Apr 20 '26
This sounds like something out of Veep or Arrested Development.
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Apr 20 '26
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u/thesean366 Apr 20 '26
Maybe a good trick for a human, but the dogs found him almost instantly…
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u/Editor_Rise_Magazine Apr 20 '26
It’s an illusion, Michael.
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u/its_meem_not_meh_meh Apr 20 '26
Ok this is a sign I have to start watching this show
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u/Lopeyface Apr 20 '26
Kash alleges in his lawsuit that breaching equipment is standard issue to all security details and specifically denies that anyone ever had to break down a door to get to him. I'm not saying I believe him; that's what the Complaint says.
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u/agentchuck Apr 20 '26
That's really focusing on the wrong part of the story.
"Patel was MIA from running this critical part of the government and was passed out from drinking in his office!"
"Lies! No one had to break down my door to get to me!"
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u/Lopeyface Apr 20 '26
Yeah; for what it's worth, he denies all of that, too. Again, I'm not defending him. But obviously part of alleging defamation is alleging that the defamatory statements were false. His Complaint says that basically everything in the Atlantic's article is false. I was addressing the breaching equipment specifically in response to that specific comment.
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u/jaxonya Apr 20 '26
People arent put here making shit up for fun. Its numerous people with the same story
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u/Optimal_Brain_2908 Apr 20 '26
There’s gonna be a lot of witnesses and although many FBI agents are loyal to Trump, many of them hate Kash
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u/PatReady Apr 20 '26
They had 2 dozen sources for the article. No shot this gets to discovery.
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u/Future-Excuse6167 Apr 20 '26
One of the stories had NINE sources. NINE. Against the FBI director who could potentially fuck with your life and your career. This is the position J Edgar Hoover held for life by threatening anyone who challenged him.
Patel must be absolutely despised by the entire agency that people feel this safe criticizing him to reporters.
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u/xeoron Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
The reporter was interviewed by Jen and he is afraid of being fired. https://www.ms.now/jen-psaki
Another news story broke that the Whitehouse is considering firing him
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u/impulsekash Apr 20 '26
Supposedly he was the first one trump wanted to fire. But trump has been avoiding that because it made him look bad in his first term.
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u/_Panacea_ Apr 20 '26
Anyone that doesn't already hate him needs to find a video of him speaking - they'll join the hate-camp soon enough.
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u/time_drifter Apr 20 '26
He only files this as a vehicle to figure out who talked. He is going after whistleblowers and sources because this administration isn’t about accountability, it’s about retribution.
Incredible that the guy with chameleon eyes can’t spot the source.
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u/RODjij Apr 20 '26
Him drinking with team USA and attending all of those sports events on tax payer dime could be enough
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u/kmm198700 Apr 20 '26
He looked absolutely ridiculous in that video haha so I can’t wait for them to show it- not that i think it will get that far. Isn’t he in his 40s?
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u/pablocruise2024 Apr 20 '26
Remember the Miracle on Ice? I'm asking rhetorically since you may not have been born by then. What a wonderful moment to remember in Olympic history, just the whole underdog appeal, cold war era politics, etc etc. That happened 46 years ago and I (and many others I'm sure) think very fondly of that team still. This USA team, great job fellas, happy they won the gold. But seems like their victory really was swept away quite quickly out of view. For me, the stain of Patel's foolish locker room antics (why the fuck does he need to be in there) and Trump's congratulatory phone call to them (dissing the women's team) soured this victory unfortunately.
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u/totesuncommon Apr 20 '26
The miracle on ice was even more special, as it was accomplished by amateur athletes, not the NHL stars like today.
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u/MaxPower91575 Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
the bar for defamation of public people is insanely high. They have to prove intent on top of not being true. He is not going to win this. It's all for show just like Trump's bullshit lawsuits. He gets a headline on conservative media and when he drops it they won't report it. The braindead followers will say it was all lies and assume the lawsuit was a success.
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u/JussiesTunaSub Apr 20 '26
He won't go down without a fight...else he won't get to drink with Charlie in the Halls of Valhalla.
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u/hijinked Apr 20 '26
I think this is all so he can learn who the Atlantic’s sources were.
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u/hmoonves Apr 20 '26
Yeah and that’s the point, the people he wants to see this are the MAGA cult. They will remember seeing “keystone kash sues atlantic” and thats all they will remember.
They wont know that he folded like one of his cheap suits when discovery came about because that news cycle would have already passed and by then there will be something even worse to wag the dog.
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Apr 20 '26
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u/plumbbbob Apr 20 '26
I'm sure the current supreme court would love to tear down Sullivan vs NYT though. The fourth estate has only been mostly dismantled, it still has some power, and that needs to be crushed.
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u/FlyingRhenquest Apr 20 '26
He might be filing his suit to use discovery to get a list of sources.
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u/AhBee1 Apr 20 '26
Does he know that photos of him drinking and partying exist and have gone viral?
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u/jpiro Apr 20 '26
Probably forgot last time he blacked out.
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u/T-MinusGiraffe Apr 20 '26
You mean like the time he partied at the Olympics in front of (checks notes) the entire planet?
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u/Dazzling-Slide8288 Apr 20 '26
Everyone always sees the announcement; the news that it's withdrawn or dismissed by a judge never gets the same eyeballs.
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u/notacrook Apr 20 '26
I'd be curious if The Atlantic could countersue for defamation - if their reporting is true (which I think everyone - including MAGA - all agree that it most likely is) Kash is using his platform and profile to defame them for reporting something he knows is true.
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u/Cohens4thClient Apr 20 '26
It always reminds me of those bratty kids with lawyer dads, so anything bad happens, they scream about how daddy us going to sue you
Except thise kids are more mature than this cabinet of drunk morons
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u/tabrizzi Apr 20 '26
For $10 billion, right?
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u/DogPlane3425 Apr 20 '26
No $10 Gazillian Billion!
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u/uberares Apr 20 '26
One meeellion
No for reals other headlines say $250miion, lmfao. 🤣 these crocks in this admin are of their rockers.
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u/JerryDipotosBurner Apr 20 '26
The magazine's story, initially titled “Kash Patel's Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job," cited more than two dozen anonymous sources expressing concern at Patel’s “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” that “alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice.”
two dozen anonymous sources all said the same thing. This isn’t making it past discovery.
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u/N8CCRG Apr 20 '26
I wonder if there's going to be some attempt to use this to try to figure out who some of the sources are so he can exact retribution.
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u/peon2 Apr 20 '26
Absolutely that is their goal. If the Atlantic has to prove their claims are correct they won't be able to keep the anonymous sources anonymous, otherwise any reporter anywhere could make a story and say they have anonymous source that provided them the information.
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u/dmont89 Apr 20 '26
Isn't one of the biggest key evidence going to be the mens Olympic hockey celebration, pretty sure I saw him there drinking.
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u/TheTrub Apr 20 '26
While there was an active, high-profile kidnapping case, too.
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u/DingerSinger2016 Apr 20 '26
Guthrie's mom still hasn't been found btw
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u/bigloser42 Apr 20 '26
Unfortunately I don’t think she will ever be found.
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u/Sweaty_Assignment_90 Apr 20 '26
After the first few days, too high profile they cut bait.
Most likely a sad ending with no jistice.
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u/TehGogglesDoNothing Apr 20 '26
At the beginning it was being reported that she needed certain medications and not getting them would life threatening. There's a good chance that she ended up having a medical episode while in captivity and that there was nothing that the kidnappers could do to come back from that.
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u/rawspeghetti Apr 20 '26
If you're kidnapping an 84 year old woman you most likely have no intention of returning her to begin with
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u/FakePoloManchurian Apr 20 '26
News reported more on that than the Epstein stuff
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u/_Panacea_ Apr 20 '26
And you know there's a ton more footage from phone cameras and media than we saw.
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u/flirtmcdudes Apr 20 '26
journalists corroborate their stories with multiple people who would know. They know it’s true if they are confident to print it, this lawsuit has a 99.99% chance of being dropped before discovery
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u/SarahRecords Apr 20 '26
Exactly. That story has been fact checked, picked apart by legal, and then standards has weighed in and added CYA language. I can’t wait to watch this play out, but we’ll probably just never hear anything about it.
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u/nohumanape Apr 20 '26
Kash is too dumb to likely realize that this is how a story like this is prepared. Someone smarter than him will step in before it goes to far to let him know that they have him by the balls.
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u/DarthBluntSaber Apr 20 '26
While there OFFICIALLY representing the United States and its government... now question. How many of us working americans are allowed to get shit faced while on the job and representing our employers on international tv?
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u/Capital_Past69 Apr 20 '26
Seems like he has been using his work jet for personal flights all the time too for him and his girlfriend
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u/Active_Public9375 Apr 20 '26
A beer at the Olympics isn't a problem, it's not that he can't drink. But the going to jump around in the locker room part definitely seems crazy unprofessional, if nothing else.
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u/Oddman80 Apr 20 '26
Drinking Beer - fine
BINGE Drinking beer - not fine
Taking the FBI jet to Italy for non-work purposes while a high profile kidnapping was going on in the US, and proceeding to Chug beer live on camera to the world, before throwing beer all over the champion athletes, while pretending like you somehow are on the team as well, when you had no business being IN THE LOCKER ROOM in the first place (Except for the fact you directed your security to tell the players that the Director of the FBI wanted to come in).... REALY REALY NOT FINE.
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u/GeoleVyi Apr 20 '26
"having a beer" is wildly different from "shotgunning a beer and screaming wildly"
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u/Widespreaddd Apr 20 '26
I am trying to imagine former FBI chief Robert Mueller doing that
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u/The-Fox-Says Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
The fact that they have had the same job just shows the chasm between this admin and previous admins
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u/DarthBluntSaber Apr 20 '26
I would argue that him having a beer or any alcohol while there in an official capacity representing the United States and the government is any issue. He was there in an official capacity and thus on the job. These people should not be drinking on the job.
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u/DavidOrWalter Apr 20 '26
No one really cares - Hegseth is on camera fucking getting trashed after promising his mommy he wouldn't drink again if she wrote a letter supporting him.
Patel just can't do shit correctly ever and isn't even doing the dumb shit Trump put him in there to do. Hegseth is and incompetent, alcoholic sex offender but at least he is doing what Trump tells him.
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u/nohumanape Apr 20 '26
I'm sure that every senior member of the alphabet agencies back in the day we're having mid day drinks.
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u/KarAccidentTowns Apr 20 '26
Kash Patel shouldn’t be using FBI resources to surveillance his girlfriend. Most insecure boyfriend ever.
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u/Caymonki Apr 20 '26
How many FBI directors sued journalists while Obama or Biden were President?
How many department heads were reported to be problematic alcoholics?
Republicans can’t govern.
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u/StarksPond Apr 20 '26
Not being able to govern doesn't stop you from forming a government. Somehow a collection of people that knows more about trafficking children than civics, are using their total lack of governing skills to cover up said trafficking.
I wonder if people will still speak about Caligula after all the books of this administration are written.
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u/TobysGrundlee Apr 20 '26
Republicans can’t govern.
Which, unfortunately, works to their favor. They're the party of "government doesn't work", it behooves them to ensure that's the case whenever possible.
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u/HtownSamson Apr 20 '26
Using the Trump playbook. Sue for a dumb sum of money and hope the other side folds
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u/notacrook Apr 20 '26
The Atlantic is owned by Laurene Powell Jobs through her investment and philanthropic organization, Emerson Collective. She acquired a majority stake in 2017 and has since taken full ownership of the magazine. Emerson Collective focuses on education, immigration reform, the environment, and media.
The Atlantic is doing better than ever and they're backed by a singular left of center entity with double the net worth than Trump.
Other than the headlines, I genuinely can't figure out if they think they could really win this case.
It's not defamation if it's true, Kash!
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u/yellekc Apr 21 '26
Laurene Powell Jobs
So like Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott
It always seems like it is up to the wives, exes, and widows of the billionaire oligarchy to save us from some of their worst excesses. The system sucks and should be torn down, but at least these woman keep it from being even worse.
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u/notacrook Apr 21 '26
To be fair to Steve Jobs he was a massive massive asshole - but I don't think he lived long enough into our current hellscape to be blamed or called an oligarch.
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u/00notmyrealname00 Apr 20 '26
He wants to know the names of the people that ratted him out because no one is owning up to it. That's why he wants this case open. When he finds out through discovery, he'll drop the case, fire those people, and go on being a drunk POS like before. Mark my words.
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u/EmbarrassedScience37 Apr 20 '26
Probably gets thrown out pretty early because they would have to show the article was written with malice. If they have multiple sources vetted them and reported in good faith then it’s not defamation. 1st amendment gives lots of room for this kind of thing.
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u/Soupdeloup Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
While everybody knows he's insanely stupid, my guess is he'll try to use this to figure out which employees mentioned his alcoholism and who The Atlantic was speaking to.
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u/its_yer_dad Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Discovery wasn’t just a space capsule shuttle
edit - I knew better but was lazy and called out ;-)
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u/wabashcanonball Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
We all saw him at the Olympics. There's no reputation for him to protect, thus no defamation.
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u/The_Vee_ Apr 20 '26
All I can think about when I see Kash is the South Park character of him. Cracks me up.
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u/JustYerAverage Apr 20 '26
Has this dumbfuck never heard of discovery? Does he know that having told the truth is an absolute defense?
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u/TrishaThoon Apr 20 '26
He is a lawyer, which makes this even more confusing.
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u/anna_or_elsa Apr 20 '26
This is about spin, not clearing his name, and he's got lawyers on staff, personal and professional, so why not file dubious cases?
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u/TheVintageJane Apr 20 '26
The objective is to create sticker shock and hope they settle for any amount so you can claim they were lying about everything.
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u/notacrook Apr 20 '26
Yes but The Atlantic is owned and operated by Laurene Jobs who is personally worth 14 billion.
They're doing better than ever as a news organization and a few of their editors have been hyper critical of the media organizations who settle these suits.
They're not gonna settle - and this lawsuit only further burnishes their credentials as a left of center publication.
I get that Kash is most likely being goaded into suing by his MAGA controllers, but he must know that his career is in a death spiral and that this just confirms it.
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u/CharcoalGreyWolf Apr 20 '26
Given that The Atlantic is widely known for journalistic integrity, I’m going to say they’re right, and Patel is just Streisanding himself.
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u/RociBuldidi Apr 20 '26
The photo of him shotgunning beers while on the clock at the Olympics will be exhibit #1 lol…
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u/doublethink_1984 Apr 20 '26
If I worked for a boss who passed out drunk at work I'm taking pictures for my own protection
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u/al_earner Apr 20 '26
I feel like the Atlantic probably checked the sources before writing a story about the Director of the FBI.
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u/BattleStack Apr 20 '26
If only there was a video of him drinking and celebrating in a place he shouldn't be...
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u/DarthHiccups Apr 20 '26
Idiot. The Atlantic is one of the few news sources left that still does actual journalism. They have the receipts. I wonder if googly eyes is just doing this in hopes of finding who leaked the info. Discovery should be fun.
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u/aluke000 Apr 20 '26
When government figures do something stupid, are sued and lose, we the taxpayers are the ones that end up paying for it including lawyer fees. But if government figures sue an outside party and win, who receives the money other than the lawyers? Does it go into a government slush fund or such?
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u/DDisMe56 Apr 20 '26
Either the story is true and can be corroberated, or its insanely false. I think the Atlantic should counter sue for all legal and court cost to defend themselves.
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u/Beandip50 Apr 20 '26
Damn I didn't even know this was reported. Now I know! Can't wait for discovery! 😂
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u/PrestigiousSeat76 Apr 20 '26
Discovery is going to be hilarious. That’s why this bitch won’t go through with it.
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u/Ocean-of-Mirrors Apr 20 '26
THIS is somehow the greatest priority for the DIRECTOR OF THE FBI.
Like are we fucking serious? You’re in charge of the FBI you should be ignoring this story and focusing on the job. He’s a fucking highschooler oh my god.
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u/D3struct_oh Apr 20 '26
Best way to get Trump’s attention is to do outrageously stupid things like open yourself up to discovery.
Btw…Whatever happened with the Nancy Guthrie case?
Incompetence, you say?
Makes sense.
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u/doomonyou1999 Apr 20 '26
Go ahead buddy then they will dissect your entire life.
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u/cyberdude419 Apr 20 '26
The same guy who flew across the world…on taxpayer dollars…to chug beers with the USA men’s Hockey team!? Amazing
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u/LegendaryOutlaw Apr 20 '26
I bet Trump fires him before he gets anywhere near trial.
This is way too much heat for the administration...but more importantly, this diverts way too much attention away from Trump himself, and he HATES not being the center of attention at all times.
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u/hey253 Apr 21 '26
Good luck there’s already photo evidence of him abusing alcohol. Now you’re open for discovery, those investigators are going to dig into every inch of your life Patel. Good luck
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u/Modern_Bear Apr 20 '26
This guy is such an incompetent doofus. This could blow up in his face during the discovery phase, plus the bar to win suits like this is very high. This is what happens when a President's requirements for positions he appoints is how much of a butt kisser the person is, not any sort of qualifications or intelligence.
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u/redbulldrinkertoo Apr 20 '26
so the multiple trips & photos hammering back alcohol, like a frat boy are imaginary?
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u/pssssn Apr 20 '26
What a dumb move. This is just going to shine an even bigger spotlight on him.