Since kash patel filed his $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick says she has been absolutely inundated with new sources reaching up to the highest levels of government, all lining up to corroborate her original reporting. The lawsuit, filed Monday, has functioned more like a megaphone than a muzzle. Fitzpatrick built her initial investigation on more than two dozen sources who described patel as an excessive drinker prone to erratic behavior and unexplained absences, behavior they believed posed a genuine national security risk.

Rather than discrediting the story, the lawsuit appears to have shaken loose even more damaging information. Fitzpatrick went on the Radio Atlantic podcast and made clear she stands by every word, noting that the flood of new sources has been one of the most gratifying responses she could have imagined. The Atlantic has called the lawsuit meritless and says it will fight it aggressively.

What makes this especially striking is why so many people stayed quiet in the first place. Fitzpatrick described patel as someone widely feared to be extremely vindictive, with insiders worried he would pursue them through costly litigation. The lawsuit meant to punish the press ended up proving that point exactly, while opening the floodgates to even more of the story patel desperately wanted buried.