The New York Press Club released the following statement regarding the reported FBI criminal leak investigation into The Atlantic magazine article about FBI Director Kash Patel’s work habits, periods of insobriety, and erratic behavior:
“The Trump Administration’s practice of launching a criminal leak investigation, using the Justice Department to do so every time an unflattering article appears about one of its officials, is a threat to the First Amendment – and the public’s well-being.
“Leak investigations have, in previous administrations, been limited to those involving national security, not behavioral issues that could affect public safety.
“In this case, The Atlantic’s story about alleged periods of impairment by FBI Director Patel contained crucial information Americans should know, which could impact his tenure in office. The public is in potential danger if the FBI director cannot perform his duties during an emergency when he is not at full capacity. The ‘leaks’ had no connection to national security concerns.”
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