FBI Director Kash Patel's $10 million defamation lawsuit targeting a blogger who called him a "Kremlin asset" and an "incompetent chud" has been thrown out by a federal judge.

In a lawsuit filed in 2023, Patel claims that Jim Stewartson, who writes on Substack and social media, accused him of not only working for the Russians but also of trying to "overthrow the government" and helping organize the January 6 attack on the Capitol. At the time, Patel was hosting the “Kash’s Corner” podcast on The Epoch Times, a pro-Trump media company that has spread conspiracy theories.

Patel sued in a Nevada court, citing a number of Stewartson's social media posts accusing him of "sedition" and claiming that he "helped ensure the Capitol was undefended" on January 6, 2021. Stewartson wrote that Patel was a "blatantly incompetent chud" and should be arrested, The Daily Beast reports.

The term "chud," originated in the 1980s horror movie C.H.U.D. (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) and today it is often used by left-leaning people to insult the MAGA right. The slang term became popular online thanks in part to its frequent use on leftist podcast Chapo Trap House.

Last August, Patel and his Kash Foundation — which provides grants to “veterans, active-duty service members, and law enforcement officers in need,” according to the website — were awarded $250,000 in compensatory and punitive damages in a default judgment by Judge Andrew Gordon in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas after Stewartson failed to respond to the lawsuit.

The blogger later moved to have the case dismissed on the grounds that he was never properly served and did not have any meaningful ties to Nevada.

In June, Stewartson spoke to The New York Times about the lawsuit, saying he thought it was "hysterical" that Patel's defamation complaint included the "chud" reference.

“Because how do you prove he’s not a chud?” Stewartson said at the time.

On July 25, Gordon ruled in Stewartson's favor, citing a lack of connection between Stewartson, Patel's defamation claims, and the state.

“The plaintiffs’ allegations arise out of Stewartson’s allegedly defamatory posts on X and Substack, which are about the plaintiffs, who are Nevadan residents. They allege that Stewartson’s X followers include Nevada residents and that he tagged Patel, a Nevadan resident, but they do not allege that Stewartson interacted with or tagged his Nevadan followers in relation to the allegedly defamatory posts,” Gordon wrote in his ruling.

The judge continued, noting that "tagging Patel, who happens to be a Nevadan resident, in posts that have nothing to do with Nevada activities or entities does not target a Nevadan audience, and therefore does not create a contact between Stewartson and Nevada."

Stewartson celebrated his victory by posting more insults about Patel on social media.

“PSA: Now that my case is settled, you are free to refer to Kash Patel as a ‘chud,’ a ‘googly-eyed Kremlin b****,’ and a ‘traitor’ without fear of legal repercussions! You’re welcome,” he wrote on X.

The Independent has requested comment from Patel.

The Stewartson lawsuit isn’t Patel’s only defamation lawsuit. During his tenure as FBI director, he has sued The Atlantic and one of its journalists, Sarah Fitzpatrick, for $250 million over an article published earlier this year. The report recounted tales from sources who claim to be either former or active FBI special agents discussing Patel’s actions, including how his reported alcohol use allegedly affects his work.

The Atlantic has filed to dismiss the lawsuit.