After an explosive report on his conduct, FBI Director Kash Patel threatens to sue The Atlantic

The report describes an often absent and erratic leader, with officials raising concerns about decision-making and alleged drinking

Last week, The Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick dropped a bombshell of a story: “The FBI Director Is MIA.”

For her story, Fitzpatrick talked to more than two dozen people, including current and former FBI officials, staff at law enforcement and intelligence agencies, hospitality industry workers, members of Congress, political operatives, lobbyists and former advisers. They described Patel as erratic, suspicious of others and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has the necessary evidence.

Fitzpatrick wrote, “Officials said that Patel has been an irregular presence at FBI headquarters and in field offices, and that he has compounded the bureau’s existing bureaucratic bottlenecks. Several current and former officials told me that Patel is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations. On several occasions, an official told me, Patel’s delays resulted in normally unflappable agents ‘losing their (expletive).”