Las Vegas judge dismisses FBI director's defamation suit

A federal judge in Las Vegas has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel against a blogger who repeatedly called him a Kremlin asset and used other derogatory terms. The ruling, issued on July 26, 2026, voids a prior default judgment of $250,000 that had been awarded to Patel.

Chief U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon granted blogger Jim Stewartson’s motion to dismiss the case, finding that the Nevada court lacked personal jurisdiction over Stewartson. The judge stated that Stewartson had no sufficient ties to the state to be subject to its courts in this matter. Patel, who was confirmed as FBI director after the alleged defamatory statements were made, had initially filed the lawsuit in June 2023, seeking over $10 million in damages. He alleged that Stewartson, who publishes on platforms like Substack and X, had maliciously defamed him with posts from 2021 to 2023 that accused Patel of working to overthrow the government and being a Russian agent.

Despite the dismissal on jurisdictional grounds, Judge Gordon was critical of Stewartson’s conduct. The judge noted that Stewartson was aware of the lawsuit and may have attempted to avoid formal service, as...