FBI Director Kash Patel was behind threats made to stop claims about his drinking habits from becoming public, newly released documents reveal.
Attorney Jesse Binnall sent a letter to The Atlantic hours before it published the story on April 17, 2026, demanding the outlet not publish. The Atlantic published anyway. Three days later, Patel filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking $250 million. The threats emerged in court documents filed July 27.
Among the demands in the letter was an ultimatum.
“Accordingly, should The Atlantic choose to publish this demonstrably false and defamatory article, Director Patel will have no choice but to take swift legal action to uphold his reputation,” Binnall wrote.
“With this letter, you are also on notice of your ongoing obligations to preserve documents related to Director Patel,” the letter said, also accusing The Atlantic of running “an ongoing campaign to damage his reputation.”
The story Patel wanted killed reported that he was known to “drink to the point of obvious intoxication” at private clubs in Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas.