FBI Director Kash Patel, standing at a lectern beside his boss Tuesday, publicly addressed current allegations that he has drank to extra, interfering with his duties.
“I’ve never been intoxicated on the job,” Patel advised a room filled with reporters Tuesday, after highlighting what he considers to be a string of legislation enforcement successes because the begin of his tenure.
“This FBI director has been on the job twice as many days as every director before me,” Patel mentioned.
Standing beside him, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — whom Patel now experiences to — additionally ridiculed current reporting in The Atlantic, which mentioned folks had beforehand raised considerations with senior leaders about the FBI director.
Blanche advised reporters he didn’t learn the story, however that it included “blatantly false” data.
Patel has beforehand denied the allegations made in The Atlantic’s story and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit in opposition to the journal.
On Tuesday, although, he and Blanche had been probed on the claims by a room filled with reporters at an unrelated press convention.
The story, printed final week, alleged Patel “alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”
Patel mentioned Tuesday he by no means listens “to the fake news mafia.”
“My concerns are completely around the anonymous reporting that comes forth constantly,” Blanche mentioned about the article, including that it was “based on anonymous sources.”
The Atlantic has defended the work of reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, who wrote the story.
“We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,” a spokesperson mentioned Monday when the lawsuit was filed.
Fitzpatrick responded to the authorized threats in an interview with MS NOW on Friday evening, saying she stood “by every word of this reporting. We have excellent attorneys.”
The press convention Tuesday was held to tout the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center over its alleged use of paid informants in extremist groups.
This story has been up to date with further particulars.