Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino acknowledged on a podcast released Tuesday that he deliberately spread false details about his schedule and whereabouts to unmask colleagues he suspected of leaking to the press, describing the practice as a necessary tactic to distinguish loyal agents from what he called “snakes.”
Speaking on Sean Hannity’s Fox News podcast, Bongino said he encountered two factions within the bureau upon joining: a “good FBI” focused on child crimes and white-collar investigations, and a “bad FBI” populated by those he deemed untrustworthy. “Unfortunately, snakes is being nice,” he told Hannity, adding that it was often unclear which camp an agent belonged to.
Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel relied on outside sources to vet personnel, but those tips sometimes backfired. “They’d say, ‘Oh, you can trust John Smith,’ and then a week later, you see a leak in the media,” Bongino recounted. To counter that, he began feeding “innocuous” false details about his movements, then confronting suspected leakers when the information surfaced publicly. “We had to play this little game,” he said.
The disclosures come amid intense scrutiny of Patel’s leadership. A recent Atlantic profile alleged a pattern of drinking, unexplained absences, and paranoia about job security at the FBI. Patel sued the magazine for defamation, but a federal judge recently tossed out that lawsuit, citing insufficient evidence. The bureau has also faced questions about its internal culture, with a 115-page report from December accusing Bongino and Patel of prioritizing social media and public relations over core investigative work.
Bongino left the bureau in January after a reported falling-out with former Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. His tenure was marked by criticism from current and former agents, one of whom described him as “something of a clown” in the December report.
Since stepping down, Bongino has relaunched his daily two-hour talk show on Rumble and returned as a Fox News contributor, appearing on Hannity’s program. His admission about planting false information is likely to fuel ongoing debates about transparency and accountability at the FBI, especially as Patel faces congressional scrutiny over his conduct.
The episode underscores the deep divisions within the bureau, which has been buffeted by political crosswinds and leadership turmoil. Critics argue that such tactics erode trust, while supporters see them as necessary in an agency where leaks have long been a problem.
