FBI Director Kash Patel denies allegations that he drinks excessively on the job and that staff have found him unreachable at times. Multiple outlets report that Patel raised the issue during a heated exchange at a Senate hearing, where lawmakers confronted him about claims tied to a recent report published by The Atlantic. Patel repeatedly characterized the allegations as false, using emphatic language such as “unequivocally, categorically false,” and described the claims as baseless or a “total farce.”
The questioning is reported as centered on whether Patel’s alleged drinking would impair his ability to perform his duties, and whether there were unexplained absences or periods when staff could not reach him. Outlets describe Patel as responding combatively to a Democratic senator, escalating the dispute during the testimony.
One outlet also reports that Patel is suing The Atlantic over the story. The accounts agree that the hearing involves a direct confrontation between Patel and lawmakers over the allegations, with Patel presenting a denial under oath.
