Controversy has erupted in the United States, with FBI director Kash Patel finding himself at the center of a communications storm, following a report by “The Atlantic” magazine, which claims he distributed whiskey bottles bearing his name and the bureau’s logo. “The basic premise of the report is false and misleading,” the FBI responds.
Read also: FBI: Iran-linked hackers breached director Kash Patel’s email
Storm of reactions for FBI director: Accused of distributing whiskey bottles with his name and bureau logo
According to The Atlantic’s report, the whiskey bottles distributed by the FBI director were engraved with “Kash Patel FBI Director,” accompanied by the FBI logo, while in some cases his first name appeared as “Ka$h.”
In published photographs, an engraving shows an eagle holding the number “9” – likely a reference to Patel’s position in the sequence of FBI directors – as well as the bureau’s emblem. The magazine cites current and former FBI and U.S. Department of Justice officials who report that this practice was known within the bureau.
The report also notes that Kash Patel, who became the target of a hacker group in March, was accustomed to carrying supplies of custom Woodford Reserve bourbon bottles and offering them to FBI officials as well as individuals he met in the course of his duties.
FBI’s response to the report against the bureau director
The FBI publicly defended Kash Patel, with deputy director Ben Williamson stating that “the basic premise of the report is false and misleading,” noting that the exchange of commemorative gifts has been a practice for more than a decade.
According to the statement, Patel followed all prescribed ethical guidelines and personally covered any costs related to private gifts. Additionally, an FBI source mentioned that he “never consumed the alcohol.”
It’s worth noting that these revelations come weeks after another report by the same magazine, which alleged incidents of excessive alcohol consumption by the controversial, according to Democrats, FBI director and unexplained absences from official duties. The magazine claimed that members of his security detail sometimes had difficulty waking him up, while he allegedly missed important meetings without explanation.
Exclusive: FBI Director Kash Patel has distributed “Ka$h”-branded bottles of bourbon to bureau staff and civilians, multiple people in Patel’s orbit tell @S_Fitzpatrick. https://t.co/tTWqxTEYus
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) May 6, 2026
