FBI Investigated New York Times Reporter Over Story on Kash Patel’s Girlfriend The New York Times reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating one of its reporters after she published an article involving FBI Director Kash Patel. The probe centered on a February 28 story by Elizabeth Williamson that detailed allegations about Patel assigning FBI agents to provide full-time protection for his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. According to the Times, Williamson’s colleague Michael Schmidt learned of the investigation through a confidential source and published a follow-up story on Wednesday night. The revelation prompted immediate criticism from press freedom organizations, who described the FBI’s actions as an alarming attempt to criminalize routine journalism. Times executive editor Joe Kahn characterized the investigation as an effort to intimidate reporters covering sensitive topics related to Patel. Clayton Weimers, North America director for Reporters Without Borders, stated that the inquiry echoed the Bureau’s most troubling historical patterns and called on Patel to resign. The controversy emerged amid ongoing scrutiny of Patel’s conduct. Last week, The Atlantic published allegations accusing Patel of excessive drinking and unexplained absences from his duties. Patel denied those claims and filed a defamation lawsuit against the publication. Since then, he has made repeated appearances on Fox News, including a segment on “Hannity,” where he dismissed Williamson’s story as baseless and shifted focus to praising former President Donald Trump. Press advocacy groups warned that using federal investigative resources to scrutinize journalists for their reporting sets a dangerous precedent for press independence in the United States. They emphasized that such actions undermine public trust in both law enforcement and the media’s ability to hold power accountable without fear of retaliation.
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