A heated confrontation erupted Thursday morning between Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino regarding the investigation into the January 6, 2021, pipe bomber.
The dispute centers on whistleblower allegations and questions about the bureau’s handling of the case.
The controversy intensified when Bongino issued a sharp response on X to Massie’s social media post. The Kentucky Republican had shared a letter from an attorney representing a whistleblower who raised concerns about potential FBI retaliation.
The dispute began following a report published by The Blaze investigative journalist Steve Baker on Nov. 8. Baker’s investigation identified former U.S. Capitol Police officer Shauni Kerkhoff as the alleged pipe bomber from the Jan. 6 incident.
Baker quoted former FBI Special Agent Kyle Seraphin, who made notable claims about the investigation. “The FBI put us one door away from the pipe bomber within days of January 6, and we were deliberately pulled away for no logical or logically investigative reason,” Seraphin stated in the report.
Baker’s findings relied on computer analysis of Kerkhoff’s gait and information about her role in dignitary protection. The report suggested the FBI possessed evidence connecting Kerkhoff to the incident but did not pursue charges.
Kerkhoff previously testified in a Jan. 6 trial that she departed the Capitol Police on good terms before the incident occurred. No official charges have been filed against her, and the FBI has not commented on the identification.
A whistleblower disclosure added another layer to the controversy. The whistleblower’s attorney, Kurt Siuzdak, sent a letter dated Nov. 12, 2025, to congressional leaders including Massie.
The senior FBI special agent stated in the disclosure, “The WFO request was ‘unusual’ because it was transmitted more than a year after the FBI had begun the investigation, and it raises questions about the progress and extent of the FBI’s investigation.”
The House Judiciary Committee obtained the letter, which referenced retaliation concerns and cited federal protections under 5 CFR Part 27. Massie brought attention to the matter on Wednesday at 7:17 p.m. EST through a social media post.
Massie wrote, “I received this troubling letter today from the attorney representing the most recent FBI whistleblower regarding the J6 pipe bomb investigation.”
“Just a reminder to @FBIDirectorKash, in case this letter is warranted, federal law prevents retaliation against whistleblowers.”
Bongino responded, rejecting Massie’s characterization of the situation.
“When Director Patel and I entered on duty in our leadership positions in the FBI we had our hands full, but we were happy to be part of the President’s team, and we still are,” Bongino stated, describing the bureau’s efforts to reinvestigate with new personnel, increased investigative resources and an enhanced public reward.
Bongino included call logs in his response showing two attempted contacts with Massie—a 10-minute call at 8 a.m. EST and a 3-second call at 7:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday. He indicated he had offered Massie a briefing that went unreturned.
“Despite this, you continue to imply that the Director and I are targeting investigators in the case. This is disgusting, even by the low standards many have for politicians,” Bongino wrote, calling Massie “a dog barking behind a fence.”
He committed to providing whistleblowers with “all the whistleblower resources they need to disclose ANY evidence of malfeasance in the prior administration.”
A separate legal matter involves Seraphin, who faces a $5 million lawsuit from Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel.
Wilkins, a 26-year-old country music singer, filed the suit alongside a claim against conservative commentator Elijah Schaffer, owner of Rift TV.
