In a remarkable public admission, a senior FBI official has stated that his past promotion of conspiracy theories surrounding the January 6 Capitol attack was driven by financial incentive.
A Stunning Admission on Fox News
Dan Bongino, the Deputy Director of the FBI, conceded during a Fox News interview this week that his previous assertions about the January 6 pipe bombs being an "inside job" were opinions he was paid to give. Host Sean Hannity confronted Bongino about his past statements, which have circulated for years in right-wing media, now that the FBI has identified a suspect in the case.
"Listen, I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions, that’s clear, and one day, I’ll be back in that space," Bongino told Hannity. "But that’s not what I’m paid for now. I’m paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts."
The Conspiracy Theory and the New Suspect
For years, including as recently as January 2024, Bongino used his popular podcast to claim the pipe bombs discovered near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, were a government-led operation designed to frame supporters of former President Donald Trump. He labeled it "the biggest scandal in FBI history."
The narrative has now collided with official investigative facts. The FBI has identified a suspect as Brian J. Cole Jr., a 30-year-old man from Virginia with no apparent government ties. Investigators allege Cole left the pipe bombs outside both the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters. Reports suggest Cole told investigators he believed the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, a motive aligning with many who stormed the Capitol that day.
Reactions and Ripples in Right-Wing Media
Bongino's candid admission is a rare moment of accountability from a prominent voice within the MAGA media sphere, which often positions itself as a truth-teller against mainstream narratives. This is not the first reversal from figures who joined the second Trump administration; earlier this year, officials walked back claims about a hidden list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients.
However, Bongino is the first to directly link his false claims to a financial motive. Other proponents of the pipe bomb conspiracy have shifted their arguments without admitting fault. For example, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie suggested the FBI's five-year investigation was suspicious, while commentator Julie Kelly speculated the delay in an arrest could be because the suspect is Black.
The fallout underscores the challenging landscape where past inflammatory rhetoric meets current official responsibility. Following the interview, Bongino posted a quote from Theodore Roosevelt about "the man who is actually in the arena," seemingly defending his current role while distancing himself from his past, paid commentary.
