Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is expected to decide whether he will remain with the bureau in the coming weeks.
This is according to two sources with knowledge of his deliberations who spoke to Fox News.
The sources pushed back against recent claims that Bongino’s FBI office sits vacant, though they acknowledged his potential departure looms on the horizon.
A source briefed on the matter confirmed to Fox News Digital that Bongino has not reached a final decision regarding his tenure at the agency.
Bongino’s time leading the deputy directorate has drawn significant scrutiny in recent weeks, with criticism extending to FBI Director Kash Patel as well.
Earlier this month, an alliance comprising both active-duty and retired FBI personnel released findings depicting the bureau as lacking clear direction under its current leadership structure.
Both Bongino and Patel responded forcefully to the characterization, standing behind the extensive reform measures they implemented, which they maintain have produced substantial improvements in accountability and public safety outcomes.
“When the director and I moved forward with these reforms, we expected some noise from the small circle of disgruntled former agents still loyal to the old Comey–Wray model,” Bongino stated to Fox News.
“That was never our audience. Our responsibility is to the American people. And under the new leadership team, the bureau is delivering results this country hasn’t seen in decades — tighter accountability, tougher performance standards, billions saved and a mission-first culture. That’s how you restore trust,” he added.
Fox News reported that last week, New York Post columnist and Fox contributor Miranda Devine reported on an internal document spanning 115 pages compiled by FBI active-duty personnel alongside retired agents and analysts that leveled harsh criticism at both Patel and Bongino following their appointments to leadership positions earlier in the year.
Bongino issued a sharp rebuttal to the report, accusing Devine of targeting the reform initiative through what he characterized as gossip-driven accounts from dissatisfied former bureau employees.
He suggested Devine’s critical stance stems from frustration over her previous reporting crumbling when subjected to closer examination.
“You can always count on Miranda for a timed hit piece when the Director and I make big changes,” Bongino posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Miranda prefers tbe old-guard. I don’t. Full steam ahead [sic],” he continued in his social media statement.
The tension between the new FBI leadership and veterans of the bureau represents a broader conflict over the agency’s direction and operational philosophy.
Bongino and Patel have positioned their reform agenda as a necessary overhaul of what they view as entrenched problems within the FBI dating back to previous administrations.
The reference to the “old Comey–Wray model” invokes former FBI Directors James Comey and Christopher Wray, whose tenures became flashpoints in political debates over the bureau’s handling of high-profile investigations and its perceived political neutrality.
Supporters of the current leadership argue the changes represent long-overdue accountability measures that restore public confidence in federal law enforcement.
Critics within the FBI ranks, however, contend the reforms have created instability and undermined established procedures that ensured the bureau’s effectiveness.
