Overview
- MS NOW, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported Wednesday that the FBI launched a criminal “insider threat” leak investigation focused on Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, with agents based in Huntsville, Alabama.
- FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson rejected the report, saying no such investigation exists and that Fitzpatrick is not under investigation.
- Sources described the inquiry as unusual because it targets a journalist rather than government leakers and could involve seeking phone records, checking FBI databases, and reviewing social‑media contacts.
- The Atlantic said it stands by Fitzpatrick’s April 17 story and released new reporting that Kash Patel has handed out “Ka$h”‑branded Woodford Reserve bourbon to staff and civilians, sometimes transported on Department of Justice aircraft, which the FBI said complies with ethics rules.
- Patel’s $250 million defamation suit against The Atlantic remains active, and the reported inquiry follows other federal scrutiny of journalists, including a New York Times reporter review and a court‑approved search of a Washington Post reporter’s home after Justice Department rules were loosened in 2025.