Kash Patel sued a reporter over drinking allegations. So she dropped another FBI alcohol bombshell

The scrutiny surrounding FBI Director Kash Patel deepened Wednesday in a remarkable escalation that fused together two increasingly volatile storylines. On the one hand, allegations about Patel’s conduct within the bureau; on the other, accusations that the FBI itself is turning its investigative powers against those exposing it.

Early in the day, MS NOW reported that the FBI had launched an “insider threat” investigation aimed at identifying the sources behind an April Atlantic article detailing allegations of Patel’s drinking, absences, and erratic leadership style. Hours later, the same Atlantic reporter, Sarah Fitzpatrick, published another damaging story. Patel had allegedly been distributing personalized bourbon bottles engraved with his own name and the FBI seal.

The dual reports underscored the degree to which Patel’s tenure at the bureau has become consumed by spectacle, internal unease, and escalating battles with the press.

The April Atlantic article that triggered the latest controversy described what the magazine called Patel’s “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” while serving as FBI director. The report, based on interviews with more than two dozen current and former officials, alleged Patel was frequently difficult to reach, that some meetings were delayed because of late-night drinking, and that senior Justice Department officials had become alarmed by his conduct.

Related: The Atlantic calls Kash Patel’s $250 million defamation lawsuit ‘meritless’

Related: Did the FBI just post this propaganda video to save Kash Patel’s job?

One episode described in the article involved Patel reportedly believing he had been fired after being locked out of an FBI computer system during a tense internal moment in April.

Patel denied the allegations and responded with aggression.

“Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court—bring your checkbook,” Patel told The Atlantic before publication. He later filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine and Fitzpatrick.

But Wednesday’s developments suggested the conflict had moved beyond litigation.

According to MS NOW, FBI agents in the bureau’s insider threats unit in Huntsville, Alabama, were tasked with investigating leaks tied to Fitzpatrick’s reporting, despite the allegations involving unclassified information rather than state secrets or national security disclosures. Sources told the outlet the inquiry was viewed inside the bureau as highly unusual and potentially chilling for both employees and journalists.

The FBI denied the report.

Yet even as those denials circulated, Fitzpatrick and The Atlantic published another report that further inflamed concerns about Patel’s leadership style and self-image.

Related: How the Kash Patel hack turned a college-linked username into a security warning

Related: Angry Democratic lawmakers slam ‘despicable’ Kash Patel for firing FBI agent over LGBTQ+ Pride flag

The new story alleged that Patel distributed custom bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon engraved with “Ka$h Patel FBI Director,” alongside the FBI shield and references to his role as bureau director. According to the report, the bottles were handed out during official events, including travel connected to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

Current and former FBI officials told The Atlantic they viewed the bottles as embarrassing and deeply out of step with bureau culture, where even the perception of compromised judgment has historically been treated with extraordinary seriousness. One former official described the atmosphere surrounding Patel as a growing “cult of personality.”

The report also described anxiety inside the bureau after one of the engraved bourbon bottles reportedly went missing at an FBI event in Quantico, Virginia, fueling fears among personnel that Patel’s leadership team might pursue polygraph examinations tied to the disappearance.

Together, the stories painted a portrait of an FBI increasingly consumed by loyalty tests, leaks, and grievances surrounding its director.

Allegations of retaliation and ideological policing inside the bureau have surfaced elsewhere during Patel’s tenure as well. As previously reported by The Advocate, a gay former FBI intelligence specialist sued Patel and former Attorney General Pam Bondi last year after being dismissed from FBI training over a Progress Pride flag displayed at his workstation. The former employee, David Maltinsky, alleged the firing sparked widespread fear among LGBTQ+ personnel inside the bureau and warned of a new “Lavender Scare” atmosphere taking hold under Patel’s leadership.

Patel's controversies have also spilled into Congress. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee last month demanded that Patel undergo alcohol abuse screening after the initial Atlantic report, arguing the allegations raised questions about his fitness to lead the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency.

Related: FBI agents fired for kneeling at George Floyd protest sue Kash Patel and other officials

Related: Decorated FBI agent trainee fired over Pride flag warns new ‘Lavender Scare’ is spreading ‘like wildfire’

At the same time, rumors about Patel’s standing inside the Trump administration have intensified in recent weeks. Multiple outlets, citing White House sources and officials familiar with internal discussions, have reported speculation that Patel’s job could be in jeopardy amid the steady stream of damaging headlines surrounding his tenure.

That speculation may become harder to contain as the controversy increasingly centers on alcohol — a particularly sensitive issue for President Donald Trump, who famously abstains from drinking and has spoken publicly about how alcoholism affected his older brother Fred Trump Jr., who died in 1981.

Trump has historically viewed public allegations of excessive drinking among top aides as politically and personally damaging. Whether the latest round of reports changes the president’s posture toward Patel remains unclear. The White House has continued publicly defending the FBI director despite weeks of mounting controversy.