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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino: James Comey ‘brought shame to the FBI again’ with ’86 47′ post
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino issued a sharp and public condemnation of the bureau’s former director, James Comey, Saturday, accusing Comey of disgracing the agency as authorities investigate Comey’s controversial «86 47» Instagram post.
In a statement posted to X, Bongino said Comey’s actions are another example of failed leadership that continues to haunt the agency.
«Former FBI Director James Comey brought shame to the FBI badge, yet again, this past week,» Bongino wrote. «The Director and I spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up messes left behind by former Director Comey. And his latest actions are no exception.»
TRUMP SAYS COMEY KNEW ‘ASSASSINATION’ MEANING BEHIND DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST
James Comey, former director of the FBI, pauses during a Bloomberg Television interview in Salzburg, Austria, June 21, 2019. (Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Comey, dismissed by President Donald Trump in 2017, sparked outrage after posting a photo to social media Thursday showing seashells arranged to say «86 47,» a phrase widely understood to mean to «get rid of» the 47th president. Though Comey later deleted the post and claimed it was misunderstood, many, including Trump, say the meaning was clear.
«He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant,» Trump said Friday on Fox News. «If you’re the FBI director, and you don’t know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination,’ and it says it loud and clear.»
Comey offered a follow-up statement online, saying he «didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence» and that it «never occurred to me.»
Bongino strongly rejected that explanation, describing it as part of a larger pattern of misconduct. In his post, Bongino wrote:
FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY MEETS WITH SECRET SERVICE AFTER CONTROVERSIAL ’86 47′ POST
Dan Bongino at Fox News Channel Studios June 18, 2019, in New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
«As the Deputy Director of the FBI, I am charged, standing with Director Patel, with managing the most powerful law enforcement agency in the world. The Director and I are also responsible for looking at grave mistakes made by people within the FBI in the past, and ensuring they never happen again.»
He stressed the FBI’s continuing commitment to supporting federal law enforcement partners investigating any threats involving public officials, past or present.
«While the FBI does not have primary investigative responsibility for investigating threats against the POTUS, and we do not make prosecutorial decisions, we do have the ability and authority to support other federal agencies for violations of federal law,» Bongino said.
«And we certainly have a responsibility to comment on matters involving former FBI officials, and allegations of law-breaking.»
The U.S. Secret Service has already interviewed Comey about the incident. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a separate statement that the bureau is «in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran.»
Bongino noted that this latest controversy is part of a general legacy of dysfunction inherited from Comey’s leadership, which he and Patel are working to fix from the inside out.
«As I’ve stated in the past, I cannot post openly about all the things the Director and I are doing to reform the enterprise, but I assure you, they are happening,» Bongino wrote. «Sadly, many of those agenda items are the result of former Director Comey’s poor decision-making and atrocious leadership.
«And to those who doubt me, I assure you, when you see what the Director and I see from the inside, it’s even worse.»
The FBI seal inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Bongino said he chose to post his statement now because his scheduled interview with FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, which will air Sunday on «Sunday Morning Futures,» was recorded earlier in the week, before the Comey post was made public.
«I’m addressing this now, rather than on our interview with Maria Bartiromo [Sunday], because we recorded that interview earlier in the week prior to the incident with Comey,» he explained.
He closed with a message to the country that echoed his support for the law enforcement community and the reforms underway at the FBI.
«God bless America, and all those who defend Her,» he said.
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Bongino, a former NYPD officer and longtime Secret Service agent, was appointed deputy director of the FBI earlier this year.
His leadership under Director Kash Patel reflects a broader effort by the Trump administration to restore accountability and integrity to the FBI after years of what many see as politically motivated misconduct.
The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further comment.
Dan Bongino,Politics,James Comey,FBI,Donald Trump
INTERNACIONAL
Trump DOJ opens mortgage fraud probe into Eric Swalwell as congressman vows to keep fighting back
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The Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has opened a probe into Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., over alleged mortgage fraud, Fox News has confirmed.
In response, Swalwell said he was not surprised to be targeted by Trump and vowed to keep speaking out while pursuing his lawsuit.
«As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,» the California lawmaker said.
«Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and the dozens more to come – I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world.
SWALWELL THREATENS ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’ TO PRIVATE ACTORS WHO DEAL WITH TRUMP, HOPE IT ‘DETERS PEOPLE’
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., listens during a news conference on the introduction of their Protection from Abusive Passengers Act at the U.S. Capitol Building on April 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
«Of course, I will not end my lawsuit against him. And I will not stop speaking out against the President and speaking up for Californians,» he continued. «As Mark Twain said, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.’ Mr. President, do better. Be better.»
The probe, which was first reported by NBC, will investigate allegations of millions of dollars in loans and refinancing were based on Swalwell declaring that his primary residence was in Washington, D.C., a person familiar with the referral told the news organization.
According to the report, the director of the Federal Housing Agency, Bill Pulte, sent Attorney General Pam Bondi a letter on Wednesday accusing Swalwell of possibly making false or misleading statements on loan documents.
HOW JAMES COMEY’S INDICTMENT COULD GO SOUTH FOR THE DOJ
The source also reportedly told NBC the investigation is into possible mortgage fraud, tax fraud at the state and local level, insurance fraud and any related crimes.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment on the matter.
The news comes the same day that MSNBC reported that two sources confirmed Swalwell is looking at a run for governor in California.
The two sources reportedly told the news agency Swalwell has all but decided on the move, and one source even said the lawmaker could make an announcement as early as next week.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Swalwell’s office for confirmation on the matter.
MSNBC reported that Swalwell declined to comment on his gubernatorial ambitions.
SWALWELL, NEHLS CLASH AT CHILD MIGRANT HEARING OVER ALLEGED CHINESE SPY TIES: ‘YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT S—‘
Representative Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was criminally referred to the DOJ for alleged mortgage fraud. (John Lamparski)
Swalwell has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, and last month he faced scrutiny over a «bizarre inconsistency» in his campaign’s Federal Election Commission filings that list several different reasons for payments to a Haitian American staffer totaling more than $360,000.
FEC filings from Swalwell for Congress and his Remedy PAC, dating back to 2021, show more than 75 payments to staffer Darly Meyer, ranging from $53 to more than $12,000 for various reasons.
Meyer received 27 payments last year totaling more than $120,000 and is on pace to earn a similar amount in 2025. The filings list multiple explanations for the disbursements, including travel, car and security services, and salary, as well as reimbursements for personal travel expenses, event flowers, and postage.
Over the years, Swalwell’s campaign has reported numerous expenditures on luxury car services, expensive restaurants, and high-end hotels in international cities such as Dubai, Berlin, Paris and London.
Swalwell also claimed there was strong evidence of collusion between Russia and Trump, but those claims have since been contradicted.
Durham’s report, released in 2023, found intelligence agencies lacked «actual evidence of collusion» to justify launching the Trump-Russia probe. The findings echoed Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, which found no criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
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This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
eric swalwell,justice department,donald trump,investigations
INTERNACIONAL
Panorama Internacional: Chile, elecciones con sorpresa y las deudas pendientes del 2019
Franco Parisi, Jeannette Jara, Marco Enriquez-Ominami, Johannes Kaiser, Jose Antonio Kast, Eduardo Artes, Evelyn Matthei y Mayne-Nicholls. Foto Reuters
Manifestantes ondean una bandera chilena durante una protesta contra el gobierno de Chile en Santiago de Chile, el 30 de diciembre de 2019. Foto ReutersINTERNACIONAL
El acuerdo con EE.UU. selló el alineamiento de Milei con Trump, pero abrió interrogantes en el Mercosur
El acuerdo sobre comercio e inversiones anunciado entre Estados Unidos y la Argentina selló a fuego el total e inflexible alineamiento del gobierno de Javier Milei con Donald Trump, pero al mismo tiempo abrió una serie de interrogantes sobre cómo impactará este entendimiento en el futuro del Mercosur y la relación con Brasil.
No por nada el acuerdo se conoció en la misma semana que desde la Cancillería se anunció que Milei se ausentará de la futura cumbre del bloque prevista en diciembre en Foz de Iguazú, donde Lula da Silva entregará a Paraguay la presidencia pro-tempore del bloque.
Leé también: Punto por punto, todos los detalles del acuerdo comercial entre la Argentina y EE.UU.
El estatuto del pacto regional impide a los países miembro suscribir acuerdos comerciales en forma individual. Milei, como lo hizo el anterior gobierno de Uruguay de Luis Lacalle Pou, busca hacer más elásticas estas disposiciones y abrir el pacto.
“La Argentina no puede negociar bilateralmente ni hacer acuerdos por su cuenta. Pero esto es un acuerdo marco que el gobierno puede presentar como exploratorio”, dijo a TN el analista internacional Mauro Embe.
El Gobierno cuidó mucho las formas de este acuerdo. La Casa Blanca lo anunció a través de “una declaración conjunta sobre el marco para un acuerdo entre Estados Unidos y la Argentina sobre comercio e inversión recíprocos”. No se habló de un acuerdo comercial.
“Así puede manejar en cierta forma los tiempos”, indicó el analista.
¿Cómo reaccionarán los demás socios del Mercosur?
El gobierno tiene como gran aliado dentro del bloque al presidente paraguayo, Santiago Peña, con quien Milei tiene un aceitado vínculo por su estrecha afinidad ideológica. Ahora se suma Rodrigo Paz, flamante mandatario de Bolivia, el último país en incorporarse al bloque.
En la vereda de enfrente se encuentra en especial Luiz Lula da Silva, némesis de Milei en el Cono Sur, y el más pragmático mandatario progresista uruguayo, Yamandú Orsi. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva y Javier Milei se vieron en Buenos Aires en la última cumbre del MERCOSUR (Vía Reuters)
“Lo que ha hecho el gobierno argentino es medio border. Está en el límite dentro de lo legal (que marca el estatuto del Mercosur). Esto podría generar una queja interna ante este avance unilateral”, dijo Embe.
Para el analista, “este acuerdo marco podría transformarse en un tratado, aunque en ningún lado se habla de un pacto de libre comercio. Lleva a futuros acuerdos. Fueron muy cautos en el nombre en este acuerdo marco para favorecer inversiones”, afirmó.
Leé también: Ser obeso o tener un hijo con discapacidad podría ser un motivo de rechazo de la visa para ingresar a EE.UU.
Ahora se abre un período de negociaciones en el seno del bloque. Si bien aún no fue definida una fecha de la cumbre, se estima que podría celebrarse el 20 de diciembre con las notorias ausencias de Milei y de Peña.
Cómo impactará el acuerdo con EE.UU. en la relación con Brasil
En este nuevo escenario no cabe duda de que el anunciado acuerdo entre Argentina y EE.UU. impactará de manera negativa en el difícil vínculo entre Buenos Aires y Brasilia.
“El primer impacto inmediato es el debilitamiento del Mercosur. Los acuerdos puntuales de país a país debilitan al bloque. Pero además, en función del conflicto que enfrenta a Brasil con EE.UU. en materia arancelaria, esto desgasta aún más la relación entre Milei y Lula que ya no era buena pero permanecía” sin cambios en el terreno comercial, dijo a TN el analista brasileño Marco Teixeira, de la Fundación Getúlio Vargas, de Río de Janeiro.
Leé también: Uruguay sufre una epidemia de homicidios: crece la inseguridad vinculada al narcotráfico
El acuerdo se sumará así a la anunciada ausencia de Milei de la cumbre del Mercosur en la que Brasil deberá traspasar la presidencia pro-témpore a Paraguay y donde espera anunciar el postergado tratado comercial con la Unión Europea (UE).
¿Qué pasará ahora con el Mercosur?
Milei cumplió el mandato de alinear a su gobierno detrás de la Casa Blanca en absolutamente todos los aspectos.
“Este es un punto más en el alineamiento total con EE.UU. Por supuesto esto tiene un precio. Más allá de la afinidad ideológica, Milei reduce la maniobrabilidad en ciertos sectores. Cuando un país se alinea tanto con una gran potencia cualquier margen de maniobra o pragmatismo se agota o se reduce”, dijo Embe.
En este contexto, el Mercosur está llamado a sufrir en los próximos 30 días fuertes turbulencias.
El analista internacional Juan Negri dijo a TN que la firma de este entendimiento con Washington “es una prueba más del estancamiento del bloque regional, de la incapacidad de adaptarse a nuevas realidades y de las visiones distintas que imperan en el interior del bloque”.
“El Mercosur se encuentra en una encrucijada. Tiene una estructura que le hace muy difícil reformarse porque tienen que estar todos los socios de acuerdo. Es un bloque agujereado que entra en tensión cada vez que en la Argentina y Brasil asumen gobiernos de derecha”, afirmó.
EE.UU, comercio
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