Kash Patel appeals dismissal of defamation lawsuit against ex-FBI official Figliuzzi

Patel’s bid to overturn the dismissal of the suit against Figliuzzi will be heard by the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The notice of appeal that Patel’s attorney filed on Thursday did not identify the grounds for that appeal. Those grounds will be laid out in a future court filing.

Patel’s suit against Figliuzzi had said the former FBI official fabricated “a specific lie” about Patel because of his “clear animus” toward the director.

“Since becoming Director of the FBI, Director Patel has not spent a single minute inside of a nightclub,” Patel’s suit said.

CNBC has requested comment from attorneys for Patel and Figliuzzi.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/14/fbi-patel-appeal-defamation-lawsuit-frank-figliuzzi.html