FBI Denies Investigating Atlantic Reporter Over Kash Patel Article

The FBI on Wednesday denied a report from MS NOW that the bureau is investigating an Atlantic magazine reporter over a critical article on Director Kash Patel.

MS NOW, citing two people familiar with the matter, said the FBI launched a criminal leak investigation into Sarah Fitzpatrick. She wrote a piece last month headlined "The FBI Director Is MIA," which drew on anonymous sources. Those sources described Patel as having an emotional outburst over computer login issues, bouts of excessive drinking and absences that raised security concerns.

Patel filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic, calling the article a defamatory hit piece. He told Fox News Digital, "The Atlantic's story is a lie. They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway."

The Atlantic has stood by its reporting. MS NOW said the alleged probe could let the FBI access Fitzpatrick's phone records and social media contacts. The outlet called the matter highly unusual, since it did not involve classified information and targeted leaks to a reporter. Leak investigations usually focus on government officials disclosing secrets, with journalists serving only as witnesses.

FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson called the MS NOW report false. "The journalist is not being investigated — false. Every time there's a publication of false claims by anonymous sources that gets called out, the media plays the victim via investigations that do not exist," he posted on X.

Erica Knight, a top advisor to Patel, dismissed the report. The Atlantic labeled the alleged probe an outrageous attack on the First Amendment. Editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said in a statement, "If confirmed to be true, an FBI criminal leak investigation targeting our reporter would represent an outrageous attack on the free press and the First Amendment itself. We will defend The Atlantic staff vigorously; we will not be intimidated by illegitimate investigations or other acts of politically motivated retaliation; we will continue to cover the FBI professionally, fairly, and thoroughly; and we will continue to practice journalism in the public interest."

MS NOW published Williamson's denial but did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI directed inquiries to his X post.

Patel's lawsuit claims The Atlantic published with actual malice. It says the outlet ignored warnings hours before publication that the main allegations were false, overlooked contradicting public information, relied on flawed sources and showed long-running editorial bias against him. It also notes the magazine refused extra time for a response.

The Atlantic said, "We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit."

Fitzpatrick said she has been inundated with responses since her article, including from government officials, that reaffirm her claims.

An FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Doubling down on defamatory lies doesn't make them true, despite the obsession with creating a distraction from the record-breaking, historic success of this FBI."