The Guardian · US news · Original story
Kash Patel denies excessive drinking allegations as ‘total farce’ in Senate hearing
FBI director also dismisses allegations of unexplained absences as Democrats challenge him over Atlantic report
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Embattled FBI director Kash Patel has denied under oath recent allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job, dismissing them as “baseless” during a fiery congressional hearing.
Democrats challenged him over the “extremely alarming” reports, first reported in the Atlantic mid-April, which they argued would a mount to a “gross dereliction” of duty. The FBI director has sued the magazine, and the author of a story it published, filing a defamation lawsuit in US district court for the District of Columbia that seeks $250m in damages.
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Shrai Popat in Washington · Tue, May 12, 2026, 12:36 PM
US news | The Guardian
FBI director also dismisses allegations of unexplained absences as Democrats challenge him over Atlantic report
Embattled FBI director Kash Patel has denied under oath recent allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job, dismissing them as “baseless” during a fiery congressional hearing.
Democrats challenged him over the “extremely alarming” reports, first reported in the Atlantic mid-April, which they argued would a mount to a “gross dereliction” of duty. The FBI director has sued the magazine, and the author of a story it published, filing a defamation lawsuit in US district court for the District of Columbia that seeks $250m in damages.
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