Judge Dismisses Kash Patel’s Suit Against Journalist, House Dems Open Alcohol Inquiry

WASHINGTON, DC – House Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have opened a formal inquiry into FBI Director Kash Patel, raising concerns about his alleged alcohol use and its potential impact on national security, according to a letter sent April 21.

The inquiry, led by Jamie Raskin (D-MD), calls on Patel to complete the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a 10-question screening tool developed by the World Health Organization, and submit both his results and a sworn statement to Congress. Lawmakers also requested copies of all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed since taking office.

In the letter, Democrats outlined what they described as a troubling pattern of conduct. They argued that Patel’s alleged unavailability delayed critical decisions tied to terrorism investigations, including the issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants. The letter also claimed his actions undermined two major criminal probes, including the manhunt following a mass shooting at Brown University and the search for the assassin of Charlie Kirk, alleging that he publicly shared inaccurate information in both cases.

“These glimpses of your relationship to alcohol would be alarming to see in an FBI agent; for us to see them in the FBI Director himself is shocking and indicative of a public emergency,” the lawmakers wrote.

The congressional push follows a recent report by The Atlantic, which cited interviews with more than two dozen current and former officials who described Patel’s drinking as “a recurring source of concern across the government.”

Patel has denied the allegations and on April 20 filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, calling its report a “sweeping, malicious and defamatory hit piece.”

Separately, a federal judge in Texas dismissed another defamation lawsuit filed by Patel against Frank Figliuzzi, now an MSNBC contributor. The suit stemmed from remarks Figliuzzi made on the program ‘Morning Joe,’ where he said, “Yeah, well, reportedly, he’s been visible at nightclubs far more than he has been on the seventh floor of the Hoover building.”

U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. rejected Patel’s claim, writing, “Figliuzzi’s statement, when taken in context, cannot have been perceived by a person of ordinary intelligence as stating actual facts about Patel.” The judge added, “A person of reasonable intelligence and learning would not have taken his statement literally: that Dir. Patel has actually spent more hours physically in a nightclub than he has spent physically in his office building.”

The court concluded that the comment constituted “rhetorical hyperbole” and therefore could not be considered defamation.