Dan Bongino Tells the F.B.I. He Is Not Partisan

Dan Bongino, the F.B.I.’s deputy director, who rose to popularity as a conservative podcaster bashing Democrats and praising President Trump, sought to reassure the bureau’s employees that he would not act as a “partisan political figure.”Addressing the work force on Monday, Mr.Bongino said in an email that he would set “aside any personal politics” and rise above partisanship in stepping into the crucial job of overseeing 38,000 employees.“That’s what I did as a special agent with the U.S.

Secret Service, where I proudly protected both Democratic and Republican presidents,” he added.“And it’s what I did as an officer with the N.Y.P.D., where I served and protected all the people of New York City equally.”The message was a striking admission for any F.B.I.

official — let alone the No.2 in the organization.

It reflected existing skepticism among former and current agents about whether Mr.Bongino and Kash Patel, the director, will maintain the bureau’s fierce independence in the face of investigations that could anger the White House.Mr.

Patel, a former prosecutor for the Justice Department, was also a high-profile surrogate for the Trump campaign.In years past, deputy directors have been veteran agents in the bureau, climbing the ranks until landing on the seventh floor of F.B.I.headquarters in Washington.

That period gives agents a chance to learn how to make cases, run major operations and field offices and deal with national security crises.They also fight for agents who face resistance from prosecutors.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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