FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino plans to step down from his position early next year, according to a report published Wednesday by MS NOW, which cited eight people familiar with the matter. Sources said Bongino, the second-in-command at the FBI under Director Kash Patel, has also told confidants that he does not intend to return to the bureau’s headquarters this month.
Several people briefed on the situation said Bongino has considered announcing his departure as soon as Friday. When contacted by MS NOW, Bongino declined to confirm or deny the report, responding dismissively to questions about his future.
The FBI declined to comment on the reported plans.
Bongino, a former police officer and U.S. Secret Service agent, was appointed to the role by President Donald Trump despite having no prior experience working within the FBI. Before joining the bureau, he was a prominent figure in conservative media, where he frequently shared political commentary and promoted various conspiracy theories.
Some of Bongino’s past statements resurfaced after he entered government, including claims that the pipe bombs planted in Washington, D.C., ahead of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot were an “inside job.” Earlier this month, he publicly celebrated the arrest of a suspect in that case.
