FBI Targets Reporter Who Exposed FBI Director Kash Patel’s “Excessive Drinking”

The FBI is reportedly investigating Sarah Fitzpatrick, a reporter for The Atlantic, after she published a story revealing that FBI Director Kash Patel’s “excessive drinking” was causing alarm within the bureau. Sources tell senior investigative reporter Carol Leonnig of MS NOW that Patel himself directed a unit in Huntsville, Alabama, to open a criminal inquiry into whether confidential information was leaked to Fitzpatrick. This includes potentially scrutinizing her phone records, metadata, and social media contacts.

The FBI assistant director officially denied the investigation’s existence, dismissing the report as “false” and accusing the media of playing the victim. But Leonnig stands by her reporting, citing multiple independent sources confirming the probe’s initiation. The case raises urgent questions about the misuse of federal law enforcement to target journalists, especially since leak investigations typically require a reasonable belief that classified information was compromised. Here, it remains unclear what classified material, if any, is involved.

Patel has vehemently denied the allegations, claiming he has “never been intoxicated on the job” and has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic. Yet, the bureau’s move to investigate a reporter signals a dangerous escalation in the weaponization of the FBI to silence scrutiny of its own leadership.

Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic, condemned the investigation as “an outrageous attack on the free press and the First Amendment itself,” vowing to defend his staff vigorously. This episode fits a troubling pattern of Kash Patel’s tenure marked by loyalty purges, politicization of law enforcement, and undermining the rule of law.

At a time when democratic institutions are under threat, targeting journalists for doing their job is a blatant abuse of power. The FBI’s investigation into Fitzpatrick is not just about one reporter or one story — it is about the very freedom of the press and the public’s right to hold power to account. We will keep tracking this developing scandal and demand transparency and accountability from Patel and the FBI.