FBI Director Kash Patel has forced dozens of staff to take lie detector tests while in ‘panic mode’ to save his job

Embattled intelligence chief reportedly attempting to flush out leakers from bureau in wake of unflattering Atlantic story accusing him of habitually drinking to excess

Bookmark
CommentsGo to comments

Bookmark popover

Removed from bookmarks

Close popoverRelated: Jimmy Kimmel jokes Donald Trump’s threats list is ‘longer than Kash Patel’s bar tab’

Your support helps us to tell the story

Read moreSupport Now

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.Read more

FBI Director Kash Patel has ordered more than two dozen current and former members of his security detail to undergo lie detector tests in an attempt to flush out leakers from the bureau, according to a report.

Sources told MS NOW that the director ordered the polygraphing of those staff, as well as several IT professionals, and has also “walled himself off from some senior bureau leaders” this week as he fights to save his job, with the network characterizing his mood as “panic mode.”

However, FBI spokesman Ben Williamson has disputed the claims, responding: “I’ve been in the usual operational leader meetings with him every day this week… it’s false.”

“The only people in panic are the ‘panicans’ in the media pushing out false stories because they spend zero time covering the record-breaking success in reduction in crime at this FBI.”

Patel was the subject of a scathing profile by Sarah Fitzpatrick in The Atlantic last month, which alleged that his employees were anxious about his drinking habits and described him as paranoid about being fired by President Donald Trump, reportedly exploding at colleagues when he wrongly believed he had been locked out of an internal computer system.

The director angrily denied the claims raised in the article and launched a $250 million defamation lawsuit in response.

It was reported earlier this week that Patel had ordered a team of FBI agents to launch a criminal leak investigation into how the story got out, which the bureau has denied.

FBI Director Kash Patel has sued The Atlantic after the publication published a story about his allegedly excessive drinking

open image in galleryFBI Director Kash Patel has sued The Atlantic after the publication published a story about his allegedly excessive drinking (Getty)

Its agents were nevertheless reported to be deeply concerned about being asked to open such a probe as it would involve examining the contacts of a journalist engaged in newsgathering, which, they felt, lacked reasonable justification.

Fitzgerald has appeared unfazed in media appearances she has made in support of her article, telling the Radio Atlantic podcast: “My response is that I stand by every single word of this report. We were very diligent. We were very careful. It went through multiple levels of editing, review, care.

“And I think one of the things that has been most gratifying ... immediately after the story published was [that] I have been inundated by additional sourcing going up to the highest levels of the government, thanking us for doing the work, providing additional corroborating information.”

The magazine published a follow-up this week in which it alleged that Patel had handed out customized bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon bearing his name, logo, and the FBI shield as commemorative gifts to colleagues.

open image in gallerySarah Fitzpatrick of The Atlantic discusses her reporting with Jen Psaki on The Briefing (MS NOW)

Williamson denied that too, telling The Independent in a statement: “The Atlantic’s premise is false and misleading. The bottles in question are part of a common practice in the FBI that started well over a decade ago, long before Director Patel arrived.

“Senior Bureau officials have long exchanged commemorative items in formal gift settings consistent with ethics rules. Director Patel has followed all applicable ethical guidelines and pays for any personal gift himself.”

However, the development led Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee to mock Patel as “J Edgar Boozer” on X, asking him to take an alcohol abuse test and reminding him that “retaliating against whistleblowers is ILLEGAL.”