Bongino claims he planted fake intel in FBI to expose ‘snakes’ leaking to media

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Co-Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Dan Bongino says he deliberately planted false internal details while working inside the FBI in an effort to identify employees he believed were leaking sensitive information to the media.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Sean Hannity on Tuesday, April 28, Bongino described what he portrayed as an agency divided between dedicated investigators and a second faction he said could not be trusted.

Bongino claims using tactics to trap 'snakes'

Bongino said that when he arrived, he quickly saw two different cultures within the FBI.

According to him, one side was made up of agents focused on serious criminal investigations such as child exploitation and financial crime.

The other side, he claimed, included people he referred to as “snakes.”

“And here’s the problem,” Bongino said. “It wasn’t always obvious” who belonged to which group. He said that uncertainty made it difficult to know whom to trust.

To test suspected leakers, Bongino said he began feeding selected people harmless but false details, including made-up travel plans or scheduling information.

If those claims later surfaced in press reports, he believed it helped reveal who was passing information outside the bureau.

“So we had to play this little game,” he said, describing the tactic as a way to narrow down suspected sources.

Bongino suggested the misinformation was minor and operationally harmless, intended only to expose leaks rather than mislead investigations.

He also said Kash Patel faced the same internal trust issues and that both men sometimes relied on recommendations from others inside the agency when judging personnel.

But Bongino admitted those judgments were not always accurate.

Dan Bongino's controversial tenure in FBI

Bongino’s comments come after a turbulent period surrounding FBI leadership changes and public criticism from current and former personnel.

Reports during that era accused senior leadership, including Bongino, of prioritizing media battles and public image over management.

Bongino was sharply criticized by some anonymous sources.

He later left the bureau and returned to conservative media, relaunching his online show and resuming television appearances.

The remarks offer a rare glimpse into the level of distrust Bongino says existed inside federal law enforcement leadership circles.

They also raise fresh questions about internal morale, leak investigations and how politically charged figures operated once inside one of America’s most powerful agencies.