FBI Director Kash Patel is suing an MSNBC columnist who falsely alleged Patel spent more time in nightclubs than on the job, the New York Post reported.
Frank Figliuzzi knew his comments were a lie when he said it, Patel’s attorneys alleged in the lawsuit, claiming Patel has not spent a single minute inside a nightclub since he took the job, the Post reported, citing the lawsuit.
“Defendant did not rely on reporting by any other person,” Patel’s attorneys said. “Defendant made up the story out of whole cloth, and by using the word ‘reportedly,’ attempts to distance himself from what is a maliciously false and defamatory statement. Defendant fabricated this story to discredit Director Patel because of Defendant’s clear animus toward Director Patel.”
Figliuzzi was a harsh critic of Patel in his columns, calling him “one of the most ill-suited Cabinet nominees — not just now, but of all time.”
“The FBI’s motto is Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. The record suggests that Patel doesn’t possess any of those traits,” Figliuzzi wrote. “It isn’t just that Patel is wholly unqualified to lead the pre-eminent law enforcement and intelligence agency in the nation and perhaps the world. Patel’s particular problem goes far beyond competence: His record shows no devotion to the Constitution, but blind allegiance to Trump.”
MSNBC later retracted Figliuzzi’s nightclub claims, calling it a misstatement and acknowledging the claim was not verified, the Post reported.
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