House Democrats launched a formal inquiry into FBI Director Kash Patel’s drinking habits on Tuesday, demanding he complete a standardized alcohol abuse assessment and submit the results to Congress.
The letter, led by Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin and signed by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, calls for Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit), a 10-question World Health Organization screening tool, along with a sworn statement attesting to his answers. Lawmakers also requested all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed since assuming the role of FBI director.
The move follows a detailed investigation by The Atlantic, which cited interviews with more than two dozen current and former FBI officials expressing concerns about Patel’s unexplained absences and excessive drinking. The report described incidents where Patel’s security detail struggled to rouse him due to apparent intoxication and where agents sought SWAT-level breaching equipment to access a room where he was unresponsive behind a locked door.
Democrats on the committee alleged Patel’s behavior had directly compromised national security, citing delays in terror-related decisions including Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant issuance and undermining two high-profile criminal investigations: the manhunt after a mass shooting at Brown University and the search for the assassin of Charlie Kirk. In both cases, the letter claimed Patel had publicly broadcast inaccurate information.
The letter stated that such conduct would be alarming in an FBI agent but shocking in the bureau’s director, calling it indicative of a public emergency. It also referenced Patel’s travel to Milan to watch the US men’s hockey team win gold at the Winter Olympics, where he was seen chugging a beer in celebration with players in the locker room.
Patel has denied the allegations and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic on Monday, accusing the magazine of being part of an elaborate journalistic conspiracy akin to organized crime. The lawsuit seeks damages for what Patel characterizes as false and damaging reporting about his conduct.
On Capitol Hill, Senate Democrats have also weighed in, with Minority Whip Dick Durbin taking to the floor to call for Patel’s removal, arguing he had weaponized the FBI to serve the interests of one person—President Trump. Senate Democrats directed the Justice Department to begin preserving relevant documents in advance of a congressional investigation.
House Democrats sent a parallel letter to Republican Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, urging additional security measures given the seriousness of the allegations. They warned that if Patel fails to provide the requested information by next week’s deadline, the Committee will require him to appear at a hearing in person and under oath to address members’ concerns.
Neither Patel nor Jordan has responded to the letters as of yet. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has remained conspicuously silent on the matter, avoiding mention of Patel’s name in public or online for roughly a month.
In a separate legal development, a federal judge in Houston dismissed Patel’s defamation lawsuit against former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, who had told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that Patel was visible at nightclubs far more often than on the seventh floor of FBI headquarters. Judge George Hanks Jr. ruled that Figliuzzi’s statement constituted rhetorical hyperbole and could not support a defamation claim, noting that a person of reasonable intelligence would not interpret the comment literally.
The judge emphasized that Figliuzzi delivered his remarks in an exaggerated, provocative, and amusing manner, and that Patel had failed to state a valid claim. The case is unrelated to the $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic, which remains pending.
What specific actions are House Democrats demanding from FBI Director Kash Patel?
House Democrats are demanding that Patel complete the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit), provide a sworn statement attesting to his answers, and submit all security clearance questionnaires he has completed since becoming FBI director.
How has Kash Patel responded to the allegations about his drinking and conduct?
Patel has denied the allegations, accused The Atlantic of being part of an elaborate journalistic conspiracy comparable to organized crime, and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine. He also filed a separate defamation lawsuit against former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, which was dismissed by a federal judge in Houston.
What national security concerns have Democrats raised regarding Patel’s behavior?
Democrats allege Patel’s alleged unavailability due to drinking has delayed terror-related decisions, including Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant issuance, and undermined two high-profile criminal investigations—the Brown University mass shooting manhunt and the search for Charlie Kirk’s assassin—by leading him to broadcast inaccurate information publicly.
