New York, New York - The New York Times claims the FBI recently investigated one of its reporters in retaliation after they wrote a damning piece about Director Kash Patel.
On February 28, Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson penned a piece that looked into how officials within President Donald Trump's administration have used federal personnel for duties – including how Patel assigned agents to provide protection and chauffeur services for his Country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.
A report shared by the Times on Wednesday claims the FBI launched an investigation into Williamson last month after Wilkins received a death threat following the article's release.
Though Williamson was never in Wilkins' presence, agents interviewed the girlfriend and queried databases for information on the reporter as they were "concerned about how the aggressive reporting techniques crossed lines of stalking."
FBI officials then recommended moving forward with a preliminary investigation, but officials at the Department of Justice concluded there was no legal basis to do so.
The Times insists that Williamson "followed normal procedures for a journalist," which includes "reaching out to the subject and seeking a variety of perspectives."
"The FBI's attempt to criminalize routine reporting is a blatant violation of Elizabeth's First Amendment rights and another attempt by this administration to prevent journalists from scrutinizing its actions," said Joseph Kahn, the newspaper's executive editor.
"It's alarming. It's unconstitutional. And it's wrong."
Kash Patel takes aim at the "fake news" media
In a recent statement to The Times, the FBI said claims of an investigation into Williamson were "false," and that any inquiries conducted were specifically related to the death threat case, in which the accused confessed to sharing after reading the article.
In recent weeks, Patel has vowed to go after "fake news" outlets that share disparaging reports about him. Most recently, The Atlantic gained his ire after the outlet published a report claiming he regularly abuses alcohol and has been fearful that he will be fired.
On Monday, the director filed a massive lawsuit against the outlet, seeking $250 million in damages for the "sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece."