FBI Allegedly Targets Journalist Over Kash Patel Drinking Story, But Denies Probe

The FBI is said to be digging into who leaked details about Kash Patel's alleged drinking to The Atlantic, according to two sources speaking to MS NOW. This leak probe is reportedly being handled by the Bureau’s insider-threats unit in Huntsville, Alabama — a division typically reserved for tracking leaks of classified information, not investigating reporters.

Sources reveal that FBI agents assigned to this investigation are uneasy, recognizing that targeting a journalist crosses a line. One agent told MS NOW, "They know they are not supposed to do this. But if they don’t go forward, they could lose their jobs. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t." This suggests a coercive environment where law enforcement is weaponized to intimidate the press.

FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson flatly denied the investigation’s existence, telling MS NOW, "This is completely false. No such investigation like this exists and the reporter you mention is not being investigated at all." Despite this denial, the very rumor of such a probe raises alarms about the politicization of federal agencies under Kash Patel’s influence.

The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg condemned the reported investigation as an "outrageous, illegal, and dangerous attack on the free press and the First Amendment." He pledged to defend journalist Sarah and others facing government harassment for exposing uncomfortable truths.

Patel, who has denied the allegations about his drinking, has responded to the story by suing The Atlantic. This legal move fits a broader pattern of Trump-era officials using lawsuits and federal power to silence critics and punish whistleblowers.

This episode highlights the ongoing erosion of democratic norms and the weaponization of the FBI against political opponents and the press. Under Patel’s tenure and influence, the Bureau appears increasingly politicized, prioritizing loyalty and intimidation over impartial law enforcement and constitutional rights.

The stakes are high: when federal agencies chase journalists instead of criminals, democracy itself is under threat. We will keep tracking this story as it develops and continue exposing abuses of power wherever they arise.