Article continues below advertisementFBI Director Kash Patel has vehemently denied a damning report by The Atlantic that alleged he engaged in "excessive drinking" and "unexplained absences," characterizing the story as a "hit piece" and promising to file a defamation lawsuit.The report, titled "The FBI Director is MIA," was published on Friday, April 17. It cited more than two dozen unnamed sources, including current and former FBI and Justice Department officials.Claims that Patel consumed alcohol to the point of "conspicuous inebriation" at venues in Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas.