"Morning Meetings Delayed Due to Excessive Drinking"... Embattled FBI Director Vows to File Defamation Lawsuit

More Than 20 Current and Former FBI Officials Interviewed
FBI Director Faces Controversy Over Excessive Drinking and Frequent Absences

Kashy Patel, Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has announced plans for legal action against a media outlet that reported allegations of his excessive drinking and frequent absenteeism.

On April 19 (local time), in an interview with Fox News, Director Patel was asked whether he would file a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, a U.S. current affairs weekly that reported on his attendance issues. He responded, "I'll do it tomorrow."

U.S. FBI Director Faces Work Attendance Controversy Amid War

Kashy Patel, Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Photo by AP News Agency

Previously, on April 17, The Atlantic published an article titled "The FBI Director Is Missing," highlighting Director Patel's poor work attendance. The outlet interviewed more than 20 current and former FBI officials, reporting that Patel drank excessively and was frequently absent from work. According to the report, Director Patel was often seen heavily intoxicated at clubs in the Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas areas.

There were also testimonies stating that Director Patel drank to the point of intoxication in front of White House officials and other government personnel. His excessive drinking reportedly caused morning meetings to be delayed, and there were several occasions when his staff had difficulty waking him up.

Director Patel's psychological instability has also become a concern. On April 10, it was reported that while preparing to leave work, Patel fell into a state of panic after being unable to access the internal system and began calling people around him, saying he had been dismissed. He displayed emotionally unstable behavior due to his fear of being fired. The investigation later found that the system access problem was due to a technical error. However, within the FBI, concerns have been mounting over the unstable actions of its leader, who oversees 38,000 employees.

Particularly, as Iran is suspected of possibly carrying out terrorist attacks against the United States, there are ongoing concerns about whether the FBI Director—an essential figure in national security and law enforcement—can respond swiftly in such a critical environment.

Allegations of Using Government Jet for Girlfriend Dates

Kashy Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Photo by EPA Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, Director Patel is known as a key loyalist to U.S. President Donald Trump, but as a former trial prosecutor, he lacks investigative and intelligence work experience. He has also faced criticism for erratic behavior, which has been said to negatively impact cooperation with major foreign agencies, leading to controversy over his qualifications.

In addition, in October last year, he faced allegations of inappropriately using an FBI jet for dates with his girlfriend. However, he maintains that he did nothing illegal, explaining that his position restricts the use of commercial flights and that he reimbursed the government for all personal travel expenses. Nevertheless, due to ongoing controversy, rumors of Patel's dismissal have circulated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.