FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Dec. 17 that he will leave the bureau in January after less than a year as the agency’s second-in-command. Bongino’s departure follows reported internal conflict with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files.
MS NOW reported that Bongino had been telling associates he planned to leave early next year and had begun clearing out his office, USA Today reported.
President Donald Trump appeared to confirm Bongino’s impending departure before Bongino publicly addressed it on social media.
In a post on X, Bongino thanked Trump, Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel for what he called the opportunity to serve.
“Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you,” Bongino wrote.
Trump praised Bongino when asked about him by reporters on Dec. 17.
“Dan did a great job,” Trump said, adding that Bongino wanted to return to his show.
Bongino is a former Secret Service agent, New York City police officer, and host of The Dan Bongino Show.
His podcast and media career made him a prominent figure among supporters of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
Since March, Bongino has helped oversee a major shakeup of federal law enforcement under Trump appointees who have been critical of the FBI and Justice Department.
After Trump appointed Kash Patel as FBI director and Bongino as his deputy, the bureau removed several top officials.
Those officials included a former acting FBI director and other senior leaders accused by the administration of being overly politicized.
Some of the removed officials later filed a federal lawsuit alleging they were unlawfully terminated.
Bongino’s prior service in the Secret Service’s Presidential Protective Division and as a police officer helped elevate him to prominence in conservative media.
Before joining the FBI, Bongino frequently criticized the bureau and the Justice Department over their handling of the Epstein case.
He suggested the existence of a cover-up to protect powerful figures and questioned whether Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
After assuming his FBI role, Bongino said he reviewed agency files and concluded that Epstein died by suicide and did not maintain a client list.
In July, the FBI and Justice Department announced they would not release additional Epstein files following what they described as an exhaustive review.
That decision further angered some of Bongino’s former supporters.
Media reports later said Bongino clashed with Bondi over the decision and considered resigning.
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer claimed on X that Bongino and Patel were furious over the Justice Department’s handling of the matter.
Bongino also faced scrutiny earlier this month when authorities arrested a suspect in the Jan. 6, 2021 pipe bombing case.
The arrest contradicted Bongino’s prior claims as a media figure that the incident may have been an inside job.
Bongino told Fox News host Sean Hannity that his role had changed since joining the FBI.
He said that as deputy director, investigations must be based on facts rather than commentary.
In August, the White House announced that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey would serve as a second deputy FBI director.
The move was widely interpreted by FBI observers as a sign of dissatisfaction with Bongino’s performance.
