FBI deputy chief Dan Bongino to depart publish in January

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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino will step down from his publish subsequent month, he mentioned on Wednesday, ending a brief and at-times tumultuous tenure because the bureau's second highest-ranking official.

Bongino introduced the transfer on social media hours after U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned he thought Bongino wished to "return to his present." He hosted a distinguished right-wing podcast previous to becoming a member of the FBI.

"Dan did an awesome job. I believe he needs to return to his present," Trump advised reporters.

Bongino, who can be beforehand each a New York Metropolis police officer and a member of the Secret Service, was an uncommon choose for the FBI's No. 2 publish, which traditionally had been crammed by profession brokers who had labored their means up the ranks.

Bongino was made deputy over objections from the FBI Brokers Affiliation, a gaggle representing 14,000 primarily present brokers, and after assurances from FBI Director Kash Patel that he would set up a profession agent.

Bongino thanked Trump, Patel and Legal professional Common Pam Bondi "for the chance to serve with goal," in a publish on X.

Promoted conspiracy theories As a podcaster, Bongino promoted a spread of conspiracy theories that got here again to hang-out him as soon as he was handed a place of energy, with notable examples regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Trump in addition to to the late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

WATCH | Virginia man arrested in pipe bomb case: FBI arrest man accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington in 2021

A 30-year-old man has been arrested and charged with planting a pair of pipe bombs in Washington the evening earlier than the assault on the U.S. Capitol in 2021, officers mentioned on Thursday. The suspect, Brian Cole Jr., was charged with use of an explosive gadget and tried malicious destruction by way of explosive supplies. Bongino had claimed that the planting of pipe bombs on the Democratic and Republican nationwide committee places of work on the eve of the riot was an FBI "inside job." He walked again that assertion after the FBI in December arrested a suspect within the five-year-old case, and mentioned in a Fox Information interview afterward that he had been paid to voice controversial opinions.

Bongino's tenure on the FBI has been in query since July, when points associated to Epstein got here to a head.

That month, the Justice Division and FBI management collectively issued a memo that backtracked on a pledge to launch investigative information on Epstein and poured chilly water on a wide range of long-held conspiracy theories that Bongino had promoted on his podcast.

The memo enraged lots of Trump's followers who adhered to the Epstein conspiracy theories and rejected the DOJ's findings that there was no incriminating "shopper record" to launch and that Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A close-up shot of U.S. President Donald Trump" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5f3559f3-f2f0-4880-a27c-5b269a59ab16,1766011366791/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6247%2C4165%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5f3559f3-f2f0-4880-a27c-5b269a59ab16,1766011366791/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6247%2C4165%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5f3559f3-f2f0-4880-a27c-5b269a59ab16,1766011366791/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6247%2C4165%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/5f3559f3-f2f0-4880-a27c-5b269a59ab16,1766011366791/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C6247%2C4165%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.4998799519807924" data-cy="image-img"/> U.S. President Donald Trump, seen on the South Garden of the White Home on Wednesday, mentioned Bongino did a 'nice job' on the FBI. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Related Press) [ad_2] Source link