The timing of Bongino’s appointment is particularly significant given the preemptive legal maneuvers occurring on the other side of the aisle. In the waning days of his administration, former President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Adam Schiff, specifically covering any potential offenses related to his work on the House January 6th Committee. This rare and highly controversial move ignited a firestorm of debate regarding the boundaries of executive power and the nature of accountability in the capital. While Schiff has dismissed the necessity of the pardon, maintaining that he has nothing to hide and acted only in the interest of defending democracy, Trump allies argue the pardon is a de facto admission of guilt and a shield against the incoming administration’s vowed investigations.
Bongino’s new authority at the FBI places him at the center of this looming legal and political battlefield. As Deputy Director, he has hinted at a sweeping internal audit of the agency’s past conduct. His primary objectives appear to be three-fold: the reevaluation of high-profile politically charged investigations, the implementation of strict new protocols to eliminate perceived partisan bias among agents, and a concerted effort to hold past intelligence officials accountable for what he describes as “years of systemic corruption.” Continue reading…
