The 19-page complaint, lodged in federal court in Washington, D.C., accuses the publication and a reporter of knowingly publishing false claims and seeks at least $250 million in damages, arguing the magazine acted with “actual malice”.

However, the filing includes basic mistakes such as “feable” for “feeble”, “politices” for “policies” and “dicussed” instead of “discussed”. While such errors do not affect the substance of the case, they are notable in a document emphasising accuracy and editorial rigour.

Jesse R. Binnall, of the Binnall Law Group, said: “If three typos in a 19-page complaint filed just days after The Atlantic’s bogus story is the best a left-wing publication can muster, we feel pretty great about our case.”

The lawsuit alleges the magazine relied on anonymous sources to publish false claims about Patel, which were denied by US authorities. The case has been filed but not yet answered.