FBI Denies Criminal Probe Into Reporter Exposing Kash Patel’s Troubling Behavior

The FBI pushed back hard against reports that it opened a criminal leak investigation targeting The Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick, the journalist who exposed FBI Director Kash Patel’s alleged excessive drinking and unexplained absences that alarmed colleagues.

Independent journalist Catherine Herridge shared the bureau’s denial on X (formerly Twitter) Friday, quoting FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson: “There is no criminal leak investigation focused on Sarah Fitzpatrick or her reporting. There is no national security investigation focused on @S_Fitzpatrick or her reporting. There are no agents assigned to any such matter because the matter does not exist.”

This statement directly contradicts a Wednesday exclusive from MS NOW, which reported that FBI agents had been assigned to a “highly unusual” criminal leak investigation aimed at identifying the sources behind Fitzpatrick’s article. An anonymous source told MS NOW that agents felt trapped — knowing they were not supposed to pursue such a probe but fearing job loss if they did not.

The FBI’s denial is not new. Williamson issued a similar statement to MS NOW on Wednesday, calling the leak investigation story “completely false” and accusing the media of “playing the victim via investigations that do not exist” whenever they publish “false claims by anonymous sources.”

Kash Patel, the controversial FBI director installed during the Trump administration, has vigorously denied the allegations of misconduct. He has escalated the conflict by filing a staggering $250 million defamation lawsuit against Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic. Patel claims the article’s allegations are “false,” “obviously fabricated,” and designed to “destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office.”

This clash comes amid broader concerns about Patel’s tenure, which critics say has been marked by loyalty purges, politicization of the FBI, and weaponizing federal agencies against political opponents. The attempt to criminalize journalism that exposes misconduct fits a disturbing pattern of intimidation and erosion of accountability.

We will continue to track this story as it unfolds. The FBI’s denial may be an attempt to quell public scrutiny, but the stakes are clear: protecting whistleblowers and reporters from retaliatory investigations is vital to preserving democratic oversight and the rule of law.