AHouston federal courtjudge on Tuesday dismissed alawsuitbyFBI Director Kash Patelalleging thatformer FBI official Frank Figliuzzidefamed him by saying Patel last year had "been visible at nightclubs far more than he has been on the seventh floor of" the bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"The Court finds that Figliuzzi's statement is rhetorical hyperbole that cannot constitute defamation," U.S. District Court Judge George Hanks Jr. wrote in hisdecision. "Accordingly, Dir. Patel has failed to state a claim against Figliuzzi, and his lawsuit must be dismissed."
The dismissal came a day after Patel filed an unrelated$250 million defamation lawsuitin D.C. federal court againstThe Atlanticmagazine over anew articlethat alleged he has abused alcohol.
While ruling on the key question of defamation in Figliuzzi's favor, the judge denied his request that he be awarded court costs and attorneys' fees underTexas' anti-SLAPP law. SLAPP is an acronym for Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation.
Figliuzzi's lawyer, Marc Fuller, in a statement to CNBC, said, "This is a victory for press freedom and the First Amendment."
"Director Patel's claim against Frank was baseless, and we are pleased that the court dismissed it," Fuller said.
Patel's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Figliuzzi, former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, made his crack about Patel on May 2, 2025, on theMS NOW show "Morning Joe."
"Yeah, well, reportedly, he's been visible at nightclubs far more than he has been on the seventh floor of the Hoover building," said Figliuzzi.
Patel sued him in June, accusing Figliuzzi of "fabricating a specific lie" about the FBI director because of Figliuzzi's "clear animus" toward him.
Source: Drudge Report
