Kash Patel is facing calls from Capitol Hill to seek rehab after a wave of allegations about his drinking sparked renewed scrutiny on how the FBI director spends his free time.
Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, aired concerns Tuesday following an explosive report from The Atlantic, which cited several officials who described Patel, 46, as erratic, paranoid, and prone to heavy drinking.
According to the report, multiple officials feared Patel’s behavior had spiraled to the point that it was affecting his job performance. One episode allegedly saw the FBI chief struggle to log into a government system before panicking that he was about to be yet another casualty in the long line of embattled Trump officials who have faced abrupt exits.
Lieu, 57, blasted Patel for what he described as reckless conduct, pointing to the now-viral video of the FBI director celebrating with the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team after their gold-medal win in February. In the clip, Patel is seen chugging beers and raising a drink in the air as he sings along with the players.
“He should not be FBI director,” Lieu told reporters, echoing concerns raised in The Atlantic that Patel “appears to be a raging alcoholic” who should “go seek help and treatment.”
In response to the report, he filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit, accusing The Atlantic of publishing false and damaging claims. However, the lawsuit appears to concede at least one detail from the report—acknowledging that Patel did experience a “technical problem logging into a government system” on April 10.
When reached for comment, Patel’s team referred the Daily Beast to the director’s previous comments on X, denying the Atlantic’s allegations.
Patel has also doubled down on his controversial Olympic appearance, insisting the trip was official business.
“I was fortunate enough to be there with the men’s hockey team and my friends on the team,” he said, adding that he was “glad to be celebrating for America at a historic time.” He maintained that the FBI’s presence at the Olympics was tied to “security” responsibilities and said he would continue to “ignore the noise” surrounding the controversy.
Still, the incident reportedly didn’t sit well with President Donald Trump, 79, who does not drink. Trump reportedly called Patel to express his displeasure after the video circulated.
When reached for comment, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, provided the Daily Beast with a recycled statement defending Patel. “Crime across the country has plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years, and many high-profile criminals have been put behind bars. Director Patel remains a critical player on the Administration’s law and order team.”
But concerns for the director’s position that officials say have left Patel “rightfully paranoid” extend beyond a single booze-filled encounter.
The Atlantic reported that multiple officials described Patel as a heavy drinker with a pattern of late nights that bled into his work schedule. Multiple officials told the outlet that meetings and briefings were sometimes delayed due to his condition following evenings of drinking.
If Patel were to be pushed out, he would join a growing roster of high-profile departures, including former Attorney General Pam Bondi, 60, who faced a wave of backlash for her handling of the release of the Epstein files documents.
Lieu also took aim at Patel’s role in matters tied to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, accusing him of misleading the public.
“He lied about the Epstein investigation,” Lieu said, pointing to Patel’s claim that there is no credible evidence that Epstein trafficked victims to third parties—a statement the congressman said is contradicted by “mountains” of evidence.
