FBI Targets Reporter Exposing FBI Director Kash Patel’s Drinking Scandal

The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, has reportedly launched a criminal leak investigation targeting Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter behind a damning Atlantic article titled “The FBI Director Is MIA.” According to two anonymous sources cited by MS Now, the probe is being handled by an insider threats unit in Huntsville, Alabama. The investigation reportedly aims to punish Fitzpatrick for exposing Patel’s alleged drinking problem so severe that it could “threaten national security.”

FBI Assistant Director Ben Williamson has denied the investigation’s existence, calling the reports “completely false.” Patel has slammed the Atlantic piece as “hit piece lies” and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine. The Atlantic, standing by its reporting backed by over two dozen anonymous sources, vows to defend itself vigorously.

This is not Patel’s first attempt to weaponize the FBI against journalists. Last month it emerged that he ordered an investigation into a New York Times reporter after she revealed Patel’s girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, was receiving FBI security and transportation, including a SWAT team detail. Such abuse of power has alarmed FBI insiders who see no legal justification for these probes.

Patel’s actions fit a broader Trump-era pattern of federal agencies being politicized to punish critics and shield allies. His attorney, Jason Greaves, has received millions from Trump PACs, linking Patel’s legal defense to the former president’s political network.

Despite mounting controversies and whispers of Patel’s imminent firing, the White House continues to defend him. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Patel as “a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team,” citing declining crime rates under his watch.

At a time when press freedom faces unprecedented threats, Patel’s targeting of reporters reveals a dangerous assault on the First Amendment and democratic norms. Only Clowns Are Orange will continue to track these abuses and hold power accountable.