The Atlantic calls Patel lawsuit an ‘assault’ on Constitution in dismissal bid
The magazine says Patel’s claims are meritless and says his lawsuit is an attempt to punish reporting he dislikes, with five prior cases noted.
- On Tuesday, Nevada Chief District Judge Andrew Gordon dismissed FBI Director Kash Patel's defamation lawsuit against blogger Jim Stewartson, ruling the court lacked personal jurisdiction over the California resident.
- Patel originally sued Stewartson in 2023 over posts alleging he was a 'Kremlin asset' and involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, resulting in a $250,000 default judgment in August 2025.
- Although Gordon vacated the award, the judge criticized Stewartson, stating he 'wasted the plaintiffs' and the court's time' while mocking the legal proceedings online to avoid being served.
- Following the dismissal, Stewartson posted on X that he was 'free to refer to' the FBI Director with the insults that sparked the litigation without legal repercussions.
- Patel, confirmed by the United States Senate as FBI Director after the posts, faces a separate $250 million defamation suit against The Atlantic, though the court found his reputation 'not significantly sullied.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Kash Patel's $10 Million Lawsuit Implodes as Federal Judge Tosses Case Over 'Googly-Eyed Kremlin' Insults
Kash Patel's $10 million lawsuit against Jim Stewartson was dismissed, prompting Stewartson's viral victory lap and igniting fresh debate over online speech, defamation and jurisdiction.
The Economic Times
Times of India‘You want names? I’ll give you names’: Kash Patel drops Epstein bombshell at explosive House hearing
FBI chief Kash Patel stunned lawmakers at a Congressional hearing after dropping explosive claims about the Jeffrey Epstein case. A heated exchange erupted as Rep. Jamie Raskin pressed Kash Patel on his past comments demanding the immediate release of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. Raskin played Patel’s previous remarks, where he claimed the FBI director had 'direct control' of Epstein’s black book, and demanded to know why the names of Epstein’…
Kash Patel’s Ambitious Defamation Lawsuit Foiled By Basic Civil Procedure Doctrine
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at Balls and Strikes. Kash Patel, the conservative podcaster whom President Donald Trump appointed as the director of the FBI in 2025, is currently suing The Atlantic for $250 million over its reporting that his predilection for drinking “to the point of obvious intoxication” has been a “recurring source of concern across the government.” In a…
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