Former FBI Director James Comey expressed concerns about the bureau’s current leadership, including Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, during a recent interview with CNN.
“There are lots of people in the FBI who know what they’re doing,” Comey said on May 28. “I hope these two guys are letting them guide them.”
Comey, who has long clashed with former President Donald Trump, was blunt when asked if he believed Patel and Bongino were capable of running the FBI.
“Nothing in their life or their career gives me confidence that they know anything about leading an organization like that,” he said.
He took particular aim at Bongino’s announcement that the FBI would reopen investigations into three high-profile cases: the 2023 discovery of cocaine in the White House, the 2022 leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, and the January 6, 2021, pipe bombs left outside Republican and Democratic offices in Washington.
“It’s a little confusing to me, honestly. I’m sure it’s a huge adjustment to go from being a podcaster to being the deputy director of the FBI,” Comey said.
The leak investigation was previously handled by Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley, who in January 2023 reported that the source could not be identified. The Secret Service also closed its probe into the White House cocaine incident, citing a lack of evidence.
As for the pipe bomb case, Comey noted it has remained unsolved but questioned why Bongino was making it part of a “new” probe.
“I also don’t understand who the audience is for this tweet,” he said, suggesting Bongino’s move seemed more aimed at his former podcast listeners than the broader public.
Comey, fired by Trump in 2017, added that he feels like he still has a target on his back.
