--- title: What to Know About Allegations of Excessive Drinking by FBI Director Kash Patel description: Kash Patel denies allegations of excessive drinking as officials cited in a new report raise concerns about FBI leadership. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/04/18/what-to-know-about-allegations-of-drinking-by-f-b-i-director-kash-patel/ author: Rebecca Schneid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-04-18T19:50:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-20T20:04:48.393Z article:section: Politics og:title: What to Know About Allegations of Excessive Drinking by FBI Director Kash Patel og:description: Kash Patel denies allegations of excessive drinking as officials cited in a new report raise concerns about FBI leadership. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/04/18/what-to-know-about-allegations-of-drinking-by-f-b-i-director-kash-patel/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteeb771bbb33f40ee/69e4f8a0fd89ad8b8a7d630a/GettyImages-2267248834_(1).jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2267248834 (1).jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What to Know About Allegations of Excessive Drinking by FBI Director Kash Patel twitter:description: Kash Patel denies allegations of excessive drinking as officials cited in a new report raise concerns about FBI leadership. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteeb771bbb33f40ee/69e4f8a0fd89ad8b8a7d630a/GettyImages-2267248834_(1).jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What to Know About Allegations of Excessive Drinking by FBI Director Kash Patel > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=41113d80-b10c-46db-805c-944e19f26a29&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Apr 18, 2026 7:50 PM UTC  Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in the Hart Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in the Hart Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026. Win McNamee/Getty Images  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Apr 18, 2026 7:50 PM UTC [FBI Director Kash Patel](https://time.com/7317646/kash-patel-jeffrey-epstein-files/) is suing _The Atlantic_ for $250 million over [a report](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/?gift=L1Pt-XF08DAdkf4x6zd%5F8hu50hFqB3FGDFC61%5ForrgU&utm%5Fsource=copy-link&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=share) that alleges excessive drinking and unexplained absences during his tenure. In one [post on X](https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2045327321192599867) last week, Patel told the outlet and author of the report: “See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court,” calling the piece a “legal layup.” Patel followed through with his threat on Monday morning, when he filed a lawsuit that accuses the magazine of “publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office.” A spokesperson for The Atlantic defended the author, Sarah Fitzpatrick, adding that it will “vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.” The [article](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/), published Friday evening, cites more than two dozen people, including unnamed current and former FBI officials, alleging several episodes described as “freak-outs” from the 46-year-old former public defender. These allegations of erratic behavior and excessive drinking are indicative of what they describe as poor and even absent leadership of the agency, which has [about 38,000 employees](https://www.fbi.gov/about/faqs/how-many-people-work-for-the-fbi). Several officials cited in the piece say that Patel is known for "obvious intoxication" at private clubs in Washington and in Las Vegas, forcing his staff to move early morning meetings to later in the day as he recovered. Justice Department and White House officials also described instances in which aides or security personnel had difficulty waking him. In one case, members of his security detail were unable to reach him behind locked doors, prompting a request for “breaching equipment” typically used by tactical teams. If substantiated, such conduct would violate the Department of Justice’s [ethics standards](https://www.justice.gov/jmd/ethics/ethics-handbook), which prohibit habitual intoxication. Officials also said it had raised concerns about public safety, with some wondering how Patel would handle a domestic terrorist attack. “That’s what keeps me up at night,” one official told _The Atlantic_, adding that concerns have grown in the weeks since the United States began [military operations against Iran](https://time.com/article/2026/04/18/iran-strait-of-hormuz-trump-attacks-blockade-lebanon-ceasefire/). The article also alleges that many staffers are just “waiting” for the notice that Patel will be fired from his position, despite President Donald Trump having [previously defended](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/13/trump-kash-patel-investigation-00563054) the FBI director. Officials cited in the report pointed to his unreachability and impulsivity in response to high-stakes situations. In response to the allegations, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told the magazine that “crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years and many high profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.” The report comes weeks after Iran-linked hackers calling themselves Handala claimed to have breached Patel’s personal email and [published photographs](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/iran-linked-hackers-claim-breach-of-fbi-directors-personal-email-doj-official-2026-03-27/) and documents online, according to Reuters. ## Past controversies The report adds to the mounting questions over Patel’s leadership of the U.S.’s principal federal law enforcement agency and is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding him. In September 2025, Patel [drew criticism](https://time.com/7319464/charlie-kirk-investigation-kash-patel/) among lawmakers across the political aisle over his handling of the manhunt for right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s killer, especially after he [prematurely announced](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/15/patel-premature-announcement-kirk-killing-suspect-custody-00563824) that the authorities had detained a suspect. At the time, Patel said in an interview that he had “no regrets” about the social media post, claiming that he was acting in the interest of transparency. “Mr. Patel was so anxious to take credit for finding Mr. Kirk’s assassin that he violated one of the basics of effective law enforcement: At critical stages of investigation, shut up and let the professionals do their job,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, [said](https://time.com/7319464/charlie-kirk-investigation-kash-patel/) in an FBI oversight hearing at the time. **Read more:**[_After Missteps, Kash Patel Faces Questions Over His Leadership of Charlie Kirk Investigation_](https://time.com/7319464/charlie-kirk-investigation-kash-patel/) In December last year, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee [released a letter](https://kamlager-dove.house.gov/media/press-releases/kamlager-dove-raskin-demand-fbi-director-kash-patel-reimburse-taxpayers) demanding answers after reports emerged that Patel used a government aircraft on a “date night” with his country singer girlfriend, to go see her perform in Pennsylvania, and for trips to places like Texas and Scotland. Patel [called](https://x.com/Kash%5FPatel/status/1985046122596040717) the accusations “baseless rumors” at the time. Then, this February, he once again [came under fire](https://time.com/7380414/kash-patel-fbi-jet-us-olympics-ice-hockey-milan-italy-celebrations-locker-room/) for traveling to the Milan-Cortina Olympics to watch the U.S. men’s hockey team win the gold medal. Videos shared on social media after the game showed Patel chugging a beer, wearing a gold medal, and dancing and singing with the team. An FBI spokesperson later defended Patel in a [post](https://x.com/%5FWilliamsonBen/status/2024605212858630465) on X. “No, it’s not a personal trip. 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