FBI Launches Probe Into Reporter Who Covered Kash Patel’s Drinking |
FBI Launches Probe Into Reporter Who Covered Kash Patel’s Drinking
The investigation is highly unusual, and some FBI officials expressed concern over the probe.
The FBI has launched a criminal leak investigation into the Atlantic reporter who reported on Kash Patel’s excessive drinking and unexplained absences.
The FBI’s probe is focused on journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, who reported last month that Patel was known to drink in excess, routinely delayed meetings and time-sensitive operations, and was often unreachable, two people familiar with the matter told MS NOW Wednesday.
The probe is different from a typical leak investigation because it did not stem from a leak of classified information, and instead focuses on leaks to a reporter, the sources said.
“They know they are not supposed to do this,” one source told MS NOW. “But if they don’t go forward, they could lose their jobs. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
After The Atlantic published the story, Patel filed a $250 million defamation suit against the publication, claiming the article was “replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office.”
But if the claims are all false, then why investigate a leak?
This wouldn’t be the first time that Patel undermined his own lawsuit. Last month, Patel flatly denied something asserted in his own court filings. And Patel’s ongoing temper tantrum over the report has apparently only invited more government officials to reach out to Fitzpatrick.
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson denied the bureau was investigating Fitzpatrick. “This is completely false. No such investigation like this exists and the reporter you mention is not being investigated at all,” he told MS NOW.
“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 added.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg gave a statement to MS NOW: “We will have further comment when we learn more. If true, this would be an outrageous, illegal, and dangerous attack on the free press and the First Amendment. We will defend Sarah and all of our reporters who are subjected to government harassment simply for pursuing the truth.”
This story has been updated.
California GOP Governor Candidate Flails After Brutal Live Fact-Check
Republican primary candidate Chad Bianco was stopped short when confronted with his own words.
Wannabe California governor Chad Bianco tried to pull a trump card during a GOP debate on CNN, and ended up humiliated on live TV.
During a prolonged exchange with host Kaitlan Collins, the MAGA-aligned Riverside County sheriff vehemently denied that he ever accused his Republican rival, GOP frontrunner Steve Hilton, of “swindling” his way into the Republican arena. But Collins had the receipts, and read them as Hilton stood just feet away.
“I saw the two of you chatting earlier, you and Mr. Hilton. You’ve actually had some harsh words for your fellow Republican,” Collins said. “You’ve called him ‘unethical and dishonest’ and said that he is trying to ‘manipulate Californians’ and ‘swindled his way into the Republican side.’ Are you saying that you don’t think Republican voters can trust Mr. Hilton?”
“I don’t know where that came from. I would tell you, in my entire life I don’t think I’ve used the word ‘swindle,’” Bianco said. “So I don’t know if you were quoting something or if you were saying that—if you were saying that.”
“It’s a quote from you to The Atlantic,” Collins clarified.
Hilton, a California businessman who previously worked for British Prime Minister David Cameron, has been endorsed by Donald Trump. He is currently tied in the polls with Democrat Xavier Becerra, pulling roughly 18 percent of the vote.
Bianco tried to qualify his language, and in doing so again denied having ever used the word “swindle.”
“I don’t know where that came from. I would never, I would never use the word ‘swindled,’” he stuttered.
He then claimed he was the only person on the stage whose job—as a local law enforcement official—revolved around the truth, noting that “right now, lying can get me removed from my job.”
But Collins offered more specifics, quoting directly from an interview that Bianco did with KBAK in March in which the sheriff asserted that Hilton was trying to figure out how he can “manipulate Californians to put him in this position at a time when we know that California Democrats have failed and we are going to vote for a Republican governor, and he has swindled his way into the Republican side, even though he’s not.”
“I probably did say that,” Bianco admitted. “I didn’t use the word ‘swindle’, whatever it was. But that context, I will agree with that 100 percent.”
“So you did say the quote?” Collins pressed.
OMG LOL Collins: You've called Hilton unethical and dishonest and said that he swindled his way into the Republican side.Bianco: I've don’t think I’ve ever used the word swindle. I don't know if you were quoting something.Collins: It's a quote from you to The Atlantic.… pic.twitter.com/kVR5A2cpQS— Acyn (@Acyn) May 6, 2026
OMG LOL Collins: You've called Hilton unethical and dishonest and said that he swindled his way into the Republican side.Bianco: I've don’t think I’ve ever used the word swindle. I don't know if you were quoting something.Collins: It's a quote from you to The Atlantic.… pic.twitter.com/kVR5A2cpQS
It would be a shocking turn of events if Bianco’s blustery performance did anything but hurt him at the polls. During the same debate, the 58-year-old touted his Oath Keeper alliance until one of his opponents, Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa, reminded him that the extremist militia group participated in the January 6 insurrection.
“You’re an Oath Keeper. We all know that,” Villaraigosa said.
“And I’m very proud of it,” Bianco interjected.
“I........