House Judiciary Democrats Demand FBI Director Kash Patel Take 10-Question Alcohol Test Under Perjury

House Judiciary Democrats launched a formal investigation into FBI Director Kash Patel and demanded he complete a 10-question alcohol screening test under the penalty of perjury, escalating a dispute sparked by The Atlantic’s reporting about Patel’s alleged drinking and erratic behavior.

“House Democrats are launching an investigation into FBI Director Kash Patel following a bombshell story from The Atlantic alleging he had "alarmed colleagues" with excessive drinking and erratic behavior”

Fox News

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to Patel late Tuesday evening that said, "These glimpses of your relationship to alcohol would be alarming to see in an FBI agent; for us to see them in the FBI Director himself is shocking and indicative of a public emergency."

Fox News

The Independent described the Democrats’ demand as a call for Patel to submit to screening and share the results with Congress, following The Atlantic’s characterization of Patel as "a deeply paranoid figure prone to drinking to excess" whose alleged behavior "alarmed officials inside Donald Trump’s administration."

The Hill reported that Raskin said Patel is "really on the run now" after accusations that Patel has been difficult to contact at times due to excessive drinking during his time helming the bureau.

Multiple outlets tied the request to a deadline next week, with The Independent saying Democrats asked Patel to fill out the questionnaire and send answers to the committee no later than 5 p.m. April 28.

The Independent also reported that Democrats asked for a sworn statement "attesting that your answers are true under the penalty of perjury," and said that if Patel does not comply, the committee would require him to appear at a hearing in person and under oath.

In parallel, Fox News reported that Democrats demanded Patel complete a 10-question test identifying "hazardous drinking behaviors" under the penalty of perjury, and said Raskin also sent a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, demanding Patel testify under oath in person if he does not provide the requested information.

The Democrats’ move followed The Atlantic’s bombshell story alleging that Patel "alarmed colleagues" with excessive drinking and erratic behavior, and that his conduct had created concerns inside the FBI and across the government.

Fox News said the investigation was launched after The Atlantic alleged Patel had "alarmed colleagues" with excessive drinking and erratic behavior, and it described the story as relying on anonymous sourcing, including officials detailing an alleged "emotional outburst" after Patel was logged out of his computer.

HuffPost

The Independent said The Atlantic’s reporting characterized Patel as prone to drinking to excess and said the allegations appear to reflect a "pattern of habitual alcohol abuse that may constitute a severe national security vulnerability."

The Hill reported that The Atlantic published accounts from Justice Department and FBI officials last week attesting that Patel’s alcohol consumption was a "recurring source of concern across the government."

The Guardian added that the letter cited a pattern of alleged conduct that Democrats argued had directly compromised national security, claiming Patel’s alleged unavailability had led to delays in terror-related decisions, including the issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) warrants, and that his behavior undermined two high-profile criminal investigations.

The Guardian also described the most serious allegations as including that Patel’s security detail on at least one occasion struggled to rouse him because he appeared intoxicated, and that agents had sought "SWAT-level breaching equipment" to gain access to a room where he was unresponsive behind a locked door.

HuffPost and NOTUS both quoted the letter’s description of the alleged conduct, including that Patel "pass out drunk behind locked doors" in episodes making him "so unreachable" that agents had to fetch SWAT-level breaching equipment to awaken him.

The Atlantic’s reporting also tied into a broader political fight, with Fox News reporting that Patel on Monday sued The Atlantic and Sarah Fitzpatrick for $250 million in a defamation lawsuit alleging "actual malice," and the Independent describing the lawsuit as seeking $250 million in damages.

Patel denied the allegations and insisted he has never been intoxicated on the job as Democrats pressed for the alcohol assessment and perjury-backed questionnaire.

“House Democrats have sent FBI Director Kash Patel a formal, clinically recognised alcohol screening questionnaire and demanded he complete it under penalty of perjury, escalating a political crisis ignited by a bombshell Atlantic report alleging chronic intoxication on the job”

International Business Times UK

Fox News reported that Patel said Tuesday he has "never been intoxicated on the job," and it quoted him during a joint press conference with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche: "I can say unequivocally that I never listen to the fake news mafia, and as when they get louder, it just means I’m doing my job."

The Independent similarly reported that Patel told reporters, "I never listen to the fake news mafia," and said, "I've never been intoxicated on the job, and that's why we filed a $250 million lawsuit."

The Hill reported that Patel pushed back on the allegations in a press conference for a separate legal matter, telling gathered reporters, "I’ve never been intoxicated on the job, and that is why we filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit. And any one of you that wants to participate, bring it on. I’ll see you in court."

The Guardian quoted Patel’s Tuesday remarks as, "I’ve never been intoxicated on the job. Any one of you that wants to participate, bring it on – I’ll see you in court."

In response to the Democrats’ demand, the letter’s language accused Patel of conduct that included "direct profanity-laced outbursts at support staff" and episodes where he "pass out drunk behind locked doors," according to the letter as quoted by HuffPost and NOTUS.

The HuffPost account also described Democrats’ framing of the issue as based on The Atlantic reporting that two dozen unnamed sources believed "the problems with his conduct go well beyond what has been previously known, and include both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences."

While Democrats demanded compliance, Fox News reported that a spokesperson for committee Republicans slammed the letter as "unserious" and said, "Crime is down to record-low levels. Criminals are behind bars, and America is safer thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Director Patel."

The same Fox News report said the spokesperson argued, "This is just another unserious effort from anonymous sources and partisan actors to attack the President and his Administration," setting up a direct clash over the credibility of the underlying allegations.

Different outlets framed the same core dispute—Democrats’ demand for an alcohol test and Patel’s denial—in sharply different ways, reflecting competing emphases on national security risk, credibility, and the legal posture.

The Guardian described the Democrats’ letter as arguing that Patel’s alleged unavailability had led to delays in terror-related decisions, including the issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) warrants, and said the letter alleged Patel undermined the manhunt following a mass shooting at Brown University and the search for the assassin of Charlie Kirk.

NOTUS

The Guardian also quoted the letter’s warning that, "These glimpses of your relationship to alcohol would be alarming to see in an FBI agent; for us to see them in the FBI Director himself is shocking and indicative of a public emergency," and it reported that Dick Durbin took to the Senate floor to call for Patel’s removal, arguing Patel had "weaponized the world’s preeminent investigative agency to serve the interests of one person – President Trump."

By contrast, Fox News emphasized the procedural and political counterattack, reporting that Republicans called the Democrats’ request "unserious" and that the committee’s spokesperson said the probe was "another unserious effort from anonymous sources and partisan actors to attack the President and his Administration."

Fox News also foregrounded the defamation fight, saying Patel sued The Atlantic and Sarah Fitzpatrick for $250 million alleging "actual malice," and it quoted the lawsuit’s claim that the article was "replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office."

The Independent, while describing the same $250 million lawsuit and Patel’s denial, highlighted the Democrats’ stated rationale as a potential "severe ‘national security vulnerability’" and reported that Democrats asked Patel to respond by 5 p.m. April 28 and provide answers under penalty of perjury.

NOTUS and HuffPost both reproduced the letter’s allegations in near-identical language about Patel consuming alcohol to the point of illness, making him so unreachable that agents had to fetch SWAT-level breaching equipment to awaken him.

Meanwhile, The Hill added a more personal political framing by quoting Raskin saying Patel is "really on the run now" and by reporting Raskin’s broader accusations about Patel’s conduct beyond alcohol, including claims about firing FBI workers "simply for political reasons."

Across the accounts, the dispute also included public optics: HuffPost said Patel aggressively chugged beer on camera with the American men’s ice hockey team after their gold medal victory, while The Independent and Fox News both reported Patel’s insistence that he was not intoxicated on the job and his attacks on reporters as part of a "fake news mafia" narrative.

The next steps in the Patel dispute hinge on whether he complies with the Democrats’ demands and on the broader political and legal consequences already set in motion.

“House Democrats have launched an investigation into FBI Director Kash Patel after a scathing report about the top law enforcement official’s alleged excessive drinking”

The Daily Beast

The Independent reported that Democrats asked Patel to fill out the questionnaire and send answers no later than 5 p.m. April 28, and it said Democrats also requested a sworn statement "attesting that your answers are true under the penalty of perjury."

The Daily Beast

It added that if Patel does not provide the requested information by the deadline, the committee would be requiring him to appear at a hearing in person and under oath to address members’ concerns, with the letter stating, "However, the American people deserve to hear the facts directly from you now — not your lawyers weeks or months from now."

Fox News similarly reported that Raskin demanded Patel complete a 10-question test under the penalty of perjury and said Raskin sent a letter to Jim Jordan demanding Patel testify under oath in person if he does not provide the requested information.

The Guardian said the pressure extends to the Senate, reporting that Dick Durbin called for Patel’s removal and that Democrats simultaneously wrote to Jim Jordan urging him to compel Patel’s appearance at a formal hearing under oath if he fails to comply by next week.

At the same time, Patel’s legal strategy is already underway: Fox News said Patel on Monday sued The Atlantic and Sarah Fitzpatrick for $250 million in a defamation lawsuit alleging "actual malice," and it quoted the lawsuit’s claim that the publication crossed the legal line by publishing an article "replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office."

The Independent described Patel’s lawsuit as a $250 million defamation suit against The Atlantic and the journalist, saying the reporting relied on interviews with more than two dozen people familiar with his behavior.

The Guardian reported that Patel forcefully denied the allegations and, on Monday, filed a $250m defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic, and it quoted his Tuesday press conference line: "I’ve never been intoxicated on the job. Any one of you that wants to participate, bring it on – I’ll see you in court."

Beyond the immediate questionnaire, The Guardian and NOTUS both connected the dispute to other investigations and scrutiny, including claims about delays in terror-related decisions and the manhunt following a mass shooting at Brown University, and NOTUS reported that in February Sen. Dick Durbin announced he was investigating allegations the FBI was delayed to several high-profile crime scenes because of Patel’s use of the agency’s jets.