To listen to Dan Bongino describe it, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is “the only most corrupt legislation enforcement establishment” in America and a “full-blown leftist political motion committee” dedicated to overlaying up Democratic crimes and withholding the reality from the American folks.
“It’s time for an absolute housecleaning,” he mentioned in 2023.
Now Mr. Bongino — the longtime right-wing pundit, podcaster and vocal ally of President Trump — has been tapped to function the company’s new deputy director. His podcast and radio present will finish manufacturing on March 14.
The job, which doesn’t require Senate affirmation, has historically been stuffed by a senior agent with huge operational expertise and a deep understanding of how the bureau’s varied divisions work. The final two deputy administrators collectively had greater than 35 years of expertise earlier than they assumed the function. Mr. Bongino served as a police officer and a U.S. Secret Service agent years in the past, however has no expertise with the F.B.I.
Mr. Bongino’s exact plans for the company stay opaque, however on latest podcasts he has mentioned he would rid the company of politicization and deal with crimes like drug dealing — regardless of the bureau’s broad mandate to guard nationwide safety, examine crimes and root out corruption by public officials in any respect ranges.
Taken collectively, Mr. Bongino’s years of feedback on his radio present and podcast have painted a imaginative and prescient for “dramatic change” on the F.B.I., as he put it final week. These concepts largely align with criticisms put forth by his good friend Kash Patel, who was not too long ago confirmed because the director of the company. A few of their concepts, nevertheless, would in all probability require further funding.
The F.B.I. declined to remark, nevertheless it not too long ago rejected charges of “corruption” leveled by a Republican cupboard secretary, saying such claims aren’t “supported by any proof” and “undermine the women and men of the F.B.I.”
Responding throughout his radio present Wednesday to questions despatched by The New York Instances, Mr. Bongino mentioned: “It’s my job to provide political views.” He added: “Your political views aren’t a prerequisite for a job like that, clearly. My legislation enforcement expertise was.”
Right here’s what Mr. Bongino has mentioned up to now about his imaginative and prescient for the F.B.I.
Fireplace ‘everybody’
Mr. Bongino has often targeted on F.B.I. officers who, in his thoughts, confirmed disloyalty to Mr. Trump by pursuing investigations in opposition to him or his supporters.
“How will we repair this? We hearth everybody who stood by,” he mentioned in June 2023 after Mr. Trump was indicted on a cost of mishandling paperwork. “We don’t simply hearth the individuals who did this. Everybody who stood by and did nothing whereas the Division of Justice and the F.B.I. have been ravaged, ravaged by corrupt crowds. Everybody will get fired. Everybody.”
Republicans and Mr. Trump’s allies have tried to downplay fees in opposition to Mr. Trump by claiming some investigations by the F.B.I. have been little greater than a “witch hunt” in opposition to him.
The indictment on mishandling paperwork centered on Mr. Trump’s storing classified documents in a number of rooms at Mar-a-Lago, together with a bathe. The investigation was began by the F.B.I. in 2022 however was finally taken over by an impartial particular counsel. The fees have been dismissed after Mr. Trump’s re-election, as a result of Justice Division coverage prohibits indicting and prosecuting a sitting president.
Restructure the F.B.I.
On previous exhibits, Mr. Bongino endorsed Mr. Patel’s options that the F.B.I. was bloated and that its brokers in Washington must be dispersed all through the nation to combat crime.
“The corruption must be instantly defunded,” he mentioned throughout a present in June 2023. “The F.B.I. ought to now not exist because it’s constituted now. The mission must be divvied up. The cash must be divvied up amongst different companies that take the oath to their nation significantly.”
Mr. Patel has already began to make good on some of those promises. He introduced in February plans to maneuver about 1,500 brokers and others from the Washington area to subject workplaces and different amenities across the nation.
Expose the F.B.I.’s ‘cover-ups’
Mr. Bongino has claimed the F.B.I. is aware of the reality about varied mysteries which have animated right-wing influencers for years.
Amongst them is the thriller surrounding two pipe bombs that have been planted outdoors the headquarters of each political events in Washington the day before Mr. Trump’s rally on Jan. 6, 2021. The bombs by no means exploded, and it stays a thriller who planted them, although the F.B.I. launched new details about the case in January, together with new surveillance video.
Mr. Bongino has mentioned the F.B.I. tried to cowl up the crime in what he referred to as the “greatest scandal in F.B.I. historical past.” Citing no proof, he has mentioned that F.B.I. officers know the identification of the bomber and that they’re holding it secret to guard Democrats or authorities insiders. Former F.B.I. officers who labored the case mentioned that was false.
He has mentioned the F.B.I.’s subsequent leaders have to “get to the story on Day 1 and re-establish belief.”
“It’s completely crystal clear to me that this was an inside job,” he mentioned concerning the bombs throughout a broadcast in November. “I don’t essentially imply inside authorities. Could possibly be. However there’s zero doubt in my thoughts that this was not a MAGA individual that planted that bomb. This was an anti-Trump lunatic, and the F.B.I. is aware of who it’s and they won’t let you know.”
Finish ‘politicized’ investigations …
Mr. Bongino has mentioned Trump supporters have been unfairly focused by the F.B.I. when it investigated crimes dedicated on Jan. 6.
“We’re not investigating dangerous guys as a result of we’re losing F.B.I., H.S.I. and D.O.J. time investigating who? MAGA and Christian nationalists,” he mentioned in November 2023, referring to Homeland Security Investigations.
What actually occurred: The F.B.I. investigated folks primarily based on proof that that they had dedicated crimes resembling coming into the U.S. Capitol illegally, assaulting cops or participating in seditious conspiracy. Throughout the sentencings of a handful of defendants, federal prosecutors requested for what is called a terrorism enhancement.
Christopher A. Wray, who stepped down as F.B.I. director earlier than Mr. Trump took workplace, has described the assault, through which supporters of Mr. Trump ransacked the Capitol, leading to 5 deaths and scores of accidents to cops, as home terrorism. Mr. Wray was confirmed throughout Mr. Trump’s first administration.
On the identical time, Mr. Bongino has advised that the F.B.I. ought to deal with different violent offenses like drug dealing, though the F.B.I. is in control of investigating any violation of federal legislation.
“I truly suppose the intelligence operate must be faraway from the F.B.I. fully,” Mr. Bongino mentioned in November final 12 months. “They need to return to financial institution theft investigations, kidnapping, critical stuff.”
The F.B.I. has not deserted these pursuits. The company’s recent announcements embrace arrests associated to an assault by the Islamic State, a string of A.T.M. robberies in New York and cash laundering in St. Louis.
… and doubtlessly begin investigations in opposition to Democrats.
Mr. Bongino has claimed for years that progressive leaders, together with former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., have dedicated crimes, and has mentioned leaders on the F.B.I. must be investigated.
“When Kash Patel goes in there, I believe many of those folks concerned must be investigated,” he mentioned in January about his perception that the F.B.I. performed a task within the revolt on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “If there have been crimes dedicated, prosecuted.”
In a report final 12 months, the Division of Justice discovered “no proof” that the F.B.I. had “undercover staff within the varied protest crowds, or on the Capitol, on Jan. 6.”
Mr. Bongino has echoed Republican claims that the F.B.I. and the Division of Justice have been weaponized in opposition to conservatives and needs to show these companies on left-wing Individuals — though the bureau has an extended historical past of investigating Democrats. In a present that aired in January, Mr. Bongino advised they’d use the federal government to go after lawbreakers in a tit-for-tat response to what he claimed Democrats had performed.
“They weaponized the federal government to go after Trump for fees they fabricated,” he mentioned. “We’re going to use the federal government to go after folks we consider legitimately broke the legislation.”
Mr. Bongino appeared to acknowledge considerations that he would politicize the F.B.I., responding on his podcast that doing so was the very last thing on his thoughts.
“We’re there for the other motive,” he mentioned. “To ensure none of that occurs.”
