The attorney that FBI Director Kash Patel has recruited to assist him in his battle against The Atlantic, which published a report alleging that he engages in “excessive drinking,” is recognized for multiple unsuccessful lawsuits aligned with MAGA.
Jesse Binnall served as the legal representative for former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson in a defamation lawsuit against CNN that did not succeed. He also participated in President Donald Trump’s attempts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
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Binnall warns The Atlantic
“See you in court,” Binnall stated on X after The Atlantic released a report on Friday, which referenced sources close to Patel, 46, claiming he was causing concern among officials due to his excessive alcohol consumption, unpredictable conduct, and unexplained absences.
Binnall also disseminated a letter from Binnall Law Group, where he serves as a partner, requesting the outlet to refrain from publishing the exposé.
In the correspondence, the lawyer emphasized what he described as false and defamatory claims made by the outlet and included two accusations that The Atlantic chose not to publish.
The first accusation was that Patel was perceived as a “threat to public safety,” and the second was that he had previously instructed his security detail to close the FBI Association store so he could shop unaccompanied, at one point expressing dissatisfaction that the merchandise “wasn’t intimidating enough.”
Jesse Binnall cases
Despite the legal threats surrounding that report, a prior case involving Binnall did not succeed. Robinson engaged Binnall Law Group for his lawsuit against CNN in 2024, initially pursuing $50 million in damages—but he withdrew it just a few months later in January 2025 and declared his retirement.
Robinson, 57, refuted the report’s assertion that he had posted messages on a pornography website where he referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” voiced support for slavery, and characterized Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”
The then-Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina expressed his belief that Binnall Law Group would “leave no stone unturned” and would “hold CNN accountable for their lies.”
Robinson chose to abandon the legal proceedings after his defeat in the 2024 gubernatorial election amid a scandal-ridden campaign.
In March, Robinson disclosed that there is “some truth” to the CNN report and admitted to having an “obsession” with pornography and sexual matters.
Allegations against Kash Patel in Atlantic report
The explosive Atlantic article referenced unnamed sources close to the FBI director Patel, who assert that he is concerned about his employment status, with one former official stating that he is “rightly paranoid,” as officials have indicated that his purported excessive alcohol consumption is a matter of concern.
In February, video footage from the Winter Olympics in Italy captured Patel consuming a beer while socializing with Team USA, with Trump, 79, allegedly reprimanding the FBI director privately after his behavior.
Patel has also faced media attention regarding his supposed use of a taxpayer-funded private jet to travel to Nashville to visit his 27-year-old country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.
