The reaction from the established political order has been swift and defensive. In a joint statement, former January 6th Committee leaders Rep. Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney stood by their investigative work. They asserted that their committee followed the letter of the law and conducted a fact-based inquiry into the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. They characterized Bongino’s appointment as an attempt to rewrite history through the use of law enforcement as a partisan cudgel. However, within the halls of the Trump administration, the sentiment is one of “cleaning house.”
Bongino’s transition from a media commentator to a high-ranking government official represents a unique phenomenon in American politics. His intimate knowledge of protective details, combined with his years of analyzing FBI and DOJ documents on his platform, has given him a specific perspective on the internal mechanics of the bureau. Supporters argue that his outsider status is exactly what is needed to break through the “bureaucratic inertia” that they believe has protected bad actors within the agency.
Meanwhile, constitutional scholars are grappling with the implications of the Schiff pardon versus the Bongino appointment. If the FBI under Bongino uncovers evidence of misconduct that falls outside the specific parameters of the Biden pardon, Schiff could still face significant legal hurdles. The intersection of a preemptive pardon and an aggressive new investigative team creates a legal “no-man’s-land” that may eventually require the intervention of the Supreme Court to resolve. Continue reading…
