A federal court judge dismissed FBI Director Kash Patel’s defamation lawsuit against Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI official.
The lawsuit claimed Figliuzzi defamed Patel for his comment on the MS NOW show “Morning Joe,” saying the FBI director “reportedly” had “been visible at nightclubs far more than he has been on the seventh floor of the Hoover building.”
“Figliuzzi’s statement is rhetorical hyperbole that cannot constitute defamation,” U.S. District Court Judge George Hanks Jr. wrote, according to CNBC.
DISMISSED
A federal judge has DISMISSED a defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel against former FBI official and MSNBC commentator Frank Figliuzzi.
The suit centered on Figliuzzi’s May 2025 on-air comment during an MSNBC Morning Joe segment, where he claimed… pic.twitter.com/Ew6YsjnxCO
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) April 22, 2026
CNBC shared further:
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 under Texas’
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