New Delhi, May 13 -- FBI Director Kash Patel sharply pushed back against allegations about his conduct and leadership during a tense Senate budget hearing on Tuesday (May 12), angrily denying claims that he drinks excessively on the job.

The heated exchange unfolded during an annual Senate committee hearing featuring senior US law enforcement officials and quickly escalated into a confrontation between Patel and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

Van Hollen confronted Patel over allegations published in a recent article by The Atlantic that questioned Patel's leadership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The report alleged Patel had engaged in "bouts of excessive drinking" and had unexplained absences that raised concerns inside...