Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino recently slapped down a report published about him by the Daily Mail, declaring the article a “complete fabrication.”
Bongino served as a police officer on the NYPD from 1995 to 1999, and then worked for the U.S. Secret Service for 12 years, from 1999 to 2011.
But the Daily Mail published a report last Friday, claiming, “Kash Patel hired deputy FBI director with no background check in extraordinary vetting breach.” The Daily Mail alleged:
The second in command at the FBI was allowed to circumvent critical vetting processes to gain access to some of the most classified US secrets, insiders are warning.
FBI Director Kash Patel signed waivers that allowed his second in command, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, in addition to two other recent senior FBI hires, to avoid polygraph exams typically required for top officials, sources told ProPublica.
The outlet was unable to determine if Bongino sat for a polygraph test, though the existence of a waiver indicates the deputy director may not have passed the test.
Still, polygraph exams are not graded on a pass or fail basis; for example, the results may come out inconclusive.
Bongino fired back with the following statement posted on X:
All,
I’m sincerely sorry for wasting your time on a weekend with nonsensical media fairytales, and I do realize the act of addressing this puts even more eyes on it.
However, I work for you all, the American citizenry, on our nations’ top national security issues, and I can’t allow false headlines like this to stand.
Claiming I was hired “with no background check” is just a lie. It’s a complete fabrication. I held a security clearance, while protecting Democrat and Republican presidents, for over ten years. And all of the background check requirements for my current position as Deputy Director of the FBI have been met. Those are simple facts.
Again, my apologies for wasting your time on this but I work for you and you should know the facts. I’m honored to serve in the Trump administration alongside Director Patel as your Deputy Director, and I will continue to hit the gas pedal on crushing violent crime and securing the Homeland.
God bless America, and all those whose defend Her. 🇺🇸
-Dan
All,
I’m sincerely sorry for wasting your time on a weekend with nonsensical media fairytales, and I do realize the act of addressing this puts even more eyes on it.
However, I work for you all, the American citizenry, on our nations’ top national security issues, and I can’t… pic.twitter.com/4P0M6h8hn9— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) November 15, 2025
Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter.)
The DML News App: www.X.com/DMLNewsApp
The Dennis Michael Lynch Podcast archive is available below, with the most recent on top. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show by downloading The DML News App or go to Apple Podcasts.
