A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel against blogger Jim Stewartson. Patel's lawsuit, filed in June 2023 in a Nevada court, sought $10 million in damages after Stewartson accused him of being a "Kremlin asset" and suggested he had attempted to "overthrow the government" in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. In court filings, Patel cited several posts by Stewartson that he claimed were defamatory, including accusations of sedition and incompetence.
In August 2025, Patel and the Kash Foundation were awarded $250,000 in damages due to a default judgment, as Stewartson did not respond to the initial lawsuit. However, Stewartson later moved to dismiss the case, arguing improper service and lack of ties to Nevada. On July 25, Judge Andrew Gordon ruled in favor of Stewartson, stating that tagging Patel in posts not related to Nevada activities did not establish sufficient contact with the state.
Following the ruling, Stewartson expressed his satisfaction on social media, suggesting that others could refer to Patel using derogatory terms without legal consequences. In a June 2026 interview, Stewartson remarked on the absurdity of Patel including social media insults in the lawsuit. The Daily Beast has reached out to Patel's office for comment.