FBI chief Patel flips out in front of cameras

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• "The Atlantic" accuses FBI Director Kash Patel of excessive alcohol consumption and erratic behavior - based on more than two dozen sources.
• Patel denies all allegations and has filed a $250 million defamation suit; at a press conference, he called the reporting an "absolute lie."
• Acting Attorney General Blanche publicly defended Patel - although he said he had not read the article in question.

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Rarely have the top US law enforcement authorities been so indignant. At a press conference at the Department of Justice on Tuesday, Patel and Blanche went toe-to-toe with the journalists present. When NBC correspondent Ryan Reilly confronted Patel with the allegations from an "Atlantic" report, the FBI director dismissed all accusations as fabrications. He described reports of his alleged drinking and erratic behavior as "absolute lies".

The magazine's report is based on interviews with more than two dozen people close to Patel. It paints a picture of a deeply suspicious FBI chief who is often inexplicably absent and drinks excessively both in Washington and in his Las Vegas home - behavior that, according to the article, could potentially make him vulnerable to blackmail.

Most sensationally, Patel is said to have immediately believed he had been fired by the White House after a computer problem briefly locked him out of his systems. In his own lawsuit, Patel admits that there was a "routine technical problem" when logging in - which contradicts his public statement that he had "never been locked out".

"Never drank on duty"

Footage is also circulating showing Patel drinking beer with members of the US Olympic ice hockey team. According to the report, this even annoyed US President Donald Trump. Patel countered: he is "just a normal American who loves his country and loves ice hockey".

250 million at stake

The most powerful police officer in America sues a US magazine

Patel emphasized that he had "never drunk on duty" - and pointed to his defamation suit as proof of his seriousness. He issued a direct challenge to journalists who wanted to take part in the reporting: "I'll see you in court." He also said: "I never listen to the fake news mafia. When they get louder, it just means I'm doing my job right."

Acting Justice Minister Todd Blanche demonstratively backed Patel. However, when asked, he admitted that he had not even read the "Atlantic" article before his criticism. His main criticism was directed against the use of anonymous sources. "The Atlantic", on the other hand, stands by its reporting and announced that it would fight the complaint resolutely.