Kash Patel, the FBI Director, is suing The Atlantic for $250 million defamation because he believes the magazine defamed him when it made allegations that he had been drinking excessively and taking unauthorized days off from work. Although Patel's lawyers claim that 'The Atlantic' acted out of actual malice and ignored the warnings given and did not give the director adequate time to respond, 'The Atlantic' has maintained its position that it used reliable sources during its investigation. According to US law, Patel has to meet an exceptionally high standard of proof in court because it is extremely difficult for a public official to prove that the information in the article was false or misleading.