(WASHINGTON)– FBI Director Kash Patel’s defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick—filed in response to recent reporting on Patel’s alleged episodes of intoxication and dereliction of duty—is the latest example of a pattern by the Trump administration to intimidate a free and independent press, PEN America said today. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seeks $250 million in damages.
“Kash Patel’s decision to sue in response to unfavorable news coverage follows the administration’s broader pattern of trying to chill reporting and discourage sources from speaking out on matters of grave public concern. Public officials, particularly those at the level of FBI director, should be able to withstand scrutiny rather than resort to attacks on the press,” said Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program director at PEN America. “The courts should continue to uphold the First Amendment over government efforts to suppress it.”
In the suit, Patel alleges The Atlantic “crossed the legal line by publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office.” The Atlantic, which said it had interviewed numerous sources both in and outside of the administration who supported its accounts of Patel’s conduct, said it would defend against a “meritless lawsuit.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057