Las Vegas, Nevada - A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a defamation suit brought by FBI Director Kash Patel against a blogger who criticized him and labeled him a "googly-eyed" chud.
In an order issued on Tuesday, District Judge Andrew Gordon dismissed the lawsuit against influencer Jim Stewartson, arguing the state of Nevada has no jurisdiction over the defendant, nor does Patel have "personal jurisdiction" over his online content.
The suit stems from a complaint Patel filed in June 2023 – more than a year before President Donald Trump tapped him to head the FBI – accusing Stewartson of "habitually" defaming him.
The suit pointed to unfounded claims Stewartson made between June 2021 and May 2023, including that Patel has committed sedition, helped plan the January 6 Capitol riots, is working to overthrow the government, is paying people to lie to Congress, and is an agent of Russia.
Stewartson initially ignored the complaint, leading to Patel winning a $250,000 default judgment in August 2025. He later vowed to fight it, writing in an X post: "Googly-eyed Kremlin b***h [Patel] will have to come back to Nevada for the trial where I explain in full detail to the judge why I was dead serious when I called you a 'chud.'"
Since becoming FBI director, Patel has sued multiple media outlets, including a massive $250 million against The Atlantic over reporting about his alleged excessive drinking.
Celebrating his victory, Stewartson joked in an X post that Americans are now "free to refer to [Patel] as a 'chud,' a 'googly-eyed Kremlin b***h,' and a 'traitor' without fear of legal repercussions!"