FBI’s Kash Patel denies excess drinking amid officials’ US security concerns

The Guardian US News
by Eric Berger
April 18, 2026
2 min read

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FBI Director Kash Patel denied allegations of excess drinking and being unreachable, which raised US security concerns.

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FBI Director Kash Patel denied allegations of excess drinking and being unreachable, which were detailed in a new report by The Atlantic. The report, citing two dozen current and former colleagues, claims Patel has engaged in heavy drinking and that his security detail has struggled to wake him. Patel threatened to sue The Atlantic over the story, which raises US security concerns among officials. These allegations come during his tenure as the head of the nation's premier law enforcement agency.

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FBI Director Kash Patel threatened to sue The Atlantic over the story detailing allegations of excess drinking.

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