Here's some breaking news from New York Times reporter Michael S. Schmidt. Well, it was NEW and BREAKING on Wednesday, so forgive us for being late with such an important story. Schmidt reports that the FBI investigated a New York Times reporter earlier this year after she published a story about Kash Patel using FBI personnel to provide his girlfriend with security. No, this isn't related to Sarah Fitzpatrick's recent hit piece on Patel in The Atlantic. This is about the FBI investigating Elizabeth Williamson.
NEW and BREAKING: The FBI began investigating New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson earlier this year after she published a story about how Kash Patel was using FBI personnel to provide his girlfriend with govt security and transportation. FBI agents interviewed Patel's…
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) April 22, 2026
The post continues:
… girlfriend about Williamson, queried databases for info on the reporter and recommended moving forward to determine whether the reporter broke federal stalking laws.
We searched Schmidt's timeline for his post about the Obama administration's FBI tracking the emails, phone records, and movements of then-Fox News reporter James Rosen, but came up empty.
David Folkenflik, who's NPR's version of Brian Stelter, passed on the news that the FBI was investigating a journalist whose work reflected poorly on Patel.
FBI was not simply investigating a reporter, it was investigating a journalist whose work reflected poorly on the the director of the FBI https://t.co/0TrlIiensQ
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) April 22, 2026
The Bureau says they were not investigating her, but in relation to a threat made where her article was cited by the suspect.
— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) April 22, 2026
Recommended
There are a few proposed Community Notes that are worth looking at:
FBI contacted Patel's girlfriend as threat victim after a man vowed to "canoe her face by assault rifle," citing Williamson's article. Routine victim interview included questions about reporter; FBI states no investigation of Williamson occurred or pursued.
Here's what actually happened: A man threatened to have Alexis Wilkins's face "canoed by an assault rifle" after reading Williamson's article.
— Erica Knight (@_EricaKnight) April 22, 2026
FBI agents interviewed Alexis about the threat. They asked her about Williamson because Williamson's reporting is what set the… https://t.co/YdEVMQG66M pic.twitter.com/PjWygWdI8g
The post continues:
… defendant off. That is basic victim interview work in a threat case. Williamson was never personally investigated.
NYT was told all of this multiple times.
So it's not new, it's not breaking, and the implication is false. Other than that, great post.
This is not what happened, no matter how many times NPR and NYT try to say so. The subject who threatened Ms. Wilkins (and has since been charged) admitted he did it after reading Elizabeth Williamson’s NYT article. It’s all right here in a public affidavit, if they bothered to… https://t.co/bOew81gYD3 pic.twitter.com/fFRP08KGKr
— Ben Williamson (@_WilliamsonBen) April 22, 2026
The post continues:
… read it. The ensuing questions surrounding the reporter were part of this death threat case - not a media investigation as NYT is representing it.
Do you understand what's false about the premise you're repeating?
— Chuck Todd's Goatee (@ChuckTod_Goatee) April 22, 2026
You obviously didn’t read the report, are incapable of understanding it, or just simply lying. I’m guessing a cocktail of 2 and 3.
— Hedleyvanhalen (@Hedleyvanhalen) April 23, 2026
I’ll help you. Questioning the reporter WRT the death threats.
More yellow, dishonest journalism from @NPR . Another day that ends with Y.
...whose work directly led to death threats against the FBI director's girlfriend.
— vєrítαtєm rєvєlαrє (@VerumInvenire) April 23, 2026
You might want to get the story straight less it leads to more death threats from dipshits like you.
David Folkenflik out here proving that removing tax dollars from NPR was the correct decision. JFC could you be more disingenuous
— Your Humble Servant (@thegr8martini) April 23, 2026
This is not what happened, no matter how many times NPR and NYT try to say so. The subject who threatened Ms. Wilkins (and has since been charged) admitted he did it after reading Elizabeth Williamson’s NYT article. It’s all right here in a public affidavit YOU POS! pic.twitter.com/Hmu5uaqlrE
— Linda S (@Lindanap123) April 22, 2026
It is always important to note that @NPR is not a news organization and @davidfolkenflik is not a journalist.
— Sneyob (@BoyensJC) April 22, 2026
Facts.
You tried. Again
— Jim Muessig (@JimMuessig) April 22, 2026
You have to be truly ignorant to post this.
— CB in Texas (@CB3125211746723) April 23, 2026
Or too anxious to get the narrative out there that the FBI is investigating journalists critical of the administration, to get the facts behind the story.
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