The FBI is reportedly assembling a multi-agency security detail to protect Deputy Director Dan Bongino around the clock, including while he is at agency headquarters. According to reports, this level of protection could require up to 20 agents, making Bongino the first deputy director to receive such a full-time detail.
Last week, the FBI circulated a request for volunteers to temporarily leave their regular duties and participate in the protective assignment. Agents will rotate through shifts as part of this “temporary duty assignment.”
Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and New York police officer, has the option to carry a firearm but has chosen not to, preferring to rely on the security detail. In contrast, his predecessor, Paul Abbate, had only a single part-time agent accompany him to certain engagements, primarily for international travel.
Some former officials have questioned the necessity of such an extensive assignment. “The question is, what is the actual risk and threat here, or does he just want a detail? This is taxpayer money we’re talking about,” former senior FBI official Frank Figliuzzi said. Typically, full-time security details are reserved for the FBI director and the U.S. attorney general.
Meanwhile, Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel have promised reforms in what they describe as a “broken institution.” But questions remain about the scope of Bongino’s protection and the implications for agency resources…
