FBI Deputy Director Bongino Expected To Depart After Rocky Tenure

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, a right-wing podcaster who ascended to the upper levels of the nation's preeminent law enforcement agency, said he would be leaving his position in January.

“I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose,” Bongino said in a post Wednesday on X" “Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her,” he added.

President Donald Trump earlier Wednesday telegraphed the move, telling reporters traveling with him at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show.” 

Bongino's turbulent tenure at the FBI was marked by clashes with Attorney General Pam Bondi and senior White House officials over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, according to people familiar with the dynamics.

The Justice Department and the FBI months ago released a two-page memo concluding that Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of sex-trafficking underage girls, died by suicide in federal custody. The memo said investigators uncovered no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail operation involving prominent individuals.

That triggered criticisms from Trump supporters who accused the administration of reneging on pledges to release files related to Epstein. The clamor for transparency had been stoked by Bongino himself. Before joining the agency, the former Secret Service agent turned conservative media figure used his podcast to promote claims that Epstein had built his fortune by blackmailing powerful people. 

In a Jan. 4, 2024 episode, Bongino played a clip of a journalist asserting without evidence that Epstein was “100%” killed because of such activities. Bongino described the allegation as “super important” and said he had heard similar claims from another reporter.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the memo's final language was cleared by both FBI and Justice Department leadership, including Director Kash Patel, Bongino and Blanche himself.

“The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and Justice Department leadership on this memo's composition and release is patently false,” Blanche said.

A recently passed federal law requires the Justice Department to release a trove of documents related to Epstein by Friday.

During his tenure, Bongino also played a prominent role in the probe into pipe bombs placed outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot. 

Federal prosecutors charged Brian J. Cole Jr., of Woodbridge, Virginia, with transporting explosive devices and attempting malicious destruction, ending a five-year inquiry that had fueled widespread speculation.

Bongino publicly praised the arrest and credited investigators for re-examining existing evidence. The criminal complaint said investigators tied Cole to purchases of materials consistent with pipe-bomb components and placed his phone and vehicle near the party headquarters on the night of Jan. 5, 2021. The devices did not explode.

Bongino is the highest-ranking departure at the FBI during Trump's second term. His exit underscores internal tensions within Trump's law-enforcement team over how to handle politically charged investigations.

Bongino's own boss, Patel, has also faced a string of controversies, including criticism from some legal experts for posting information from ongoing cases to social media. Trump in November denied a report that he was considering removing Patel, saying he was “doing a great job.”

Before his appointment, Patel also had criticized the bureau's handling of the Epstein case. In a 2023 interview, he said the FBI should disclose who in Epstein's network had been identified, telling a conservative outlet, “Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the pedophiles are.”