1 month ago
A time aft FBI Director Kash Patel revenge a $250 cardinal suit against The Atlantic, he has mislaid a different defamation claim, against news expert and pundit Frank Figliuzzi.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. dismissed Patel’s suit against Figliuzzi, erstwhile adjunct head for counterintelligence astatine nan FBI, who has been an expert for NBC News and MSNBC.
Patel sued aft Figliuzzi, appearing connected MSNBC’s Morning Joe past year, said of nan FBI director, “Well, reportedly, he’s been visible astatine nightclubs acold much than he has been connected nan seventh level of nan Hoover building.”
Hanks wrote, “A personification of reasonable intelligence and learning would not person taken his connection literally: that Dir. Patel has really spent much hours physically successful a nightclub than he has spent physically successful his agency building. By saying that Patel spent ‘far more’ clip astatine nightclubs than his office, Figliuzzi delivered his reply ‘in an exaggerated, provocative and amusing way,’ employing rhetorical hyperbole.”
The judge wrote that because he recovered that nan connection was “rhetorical hyperbole,” it cannot beryllium considered defamation.
The judge, though, ruled that Figliuzzi was incapable to retrieve attorneys fees and costs nether Texas’ anti-SLAPP law.
Patel sued The Atlantic after nan media outlet published a portion connected his “erratic” tenure astatine nan FBI, including accounts of excessive drinking and absences. Patel claimed that nan communicative was “replete pinch mendacious and evidently fabricated allegations designed to destruct Director Patel’s estimation and thrust him from office.” The Atlantic said successful a statement, “We guidelines by our reporting connected Kash Patel, and we will vigorously take sides The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.”
