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Bongino’s new authority at the FBI places him at the center of this looming legal and political battlefield. As Deputy Director, he has hinted at a sweeping internal audit of the agency’s past conduct. His primary objectives appear to be three-fold: the reevaluation of high-profile politically charged investigations, the implementation of strict new protocols to eliminate perceived partisan bias among agents, and a concerted effort to hold past intelligence officials accountable for what he describes as “years of systemic corruption.”
The reaction from the established political order has been swift and defensive. In a joint statement, former January 6th Committee leaders Rep. Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney stood by their investigative work. They asserted that their committee followed the letter of the law and conducted a fact-based inquiry into the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. They characterized Bongino’s appointment as an attempt to rewrite history through the use of law enforcement as a partisan cudgel. However, within the halls of the Trump administration, the sentiment is one of “cleaning house.”
The presence of a firebrand like Bongino in the FBI’s upper echelon sets the stage for a dramatic restructuring of how federal law enforcement operates. There is widespread anticipation of a significant “shake-up” among career officials who were involved in the investigations of the previous decade. Bongino has frequently stated that “accountability is coming,” and his new role provides him with the subpoena power and internal access to make that a reality.
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