FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino issued a strong public rebuke of former Director James Comey on Saturday, accusing him of tarnishing the bureau’s reputation amid an investigation into Comey’s controversial “86 47” Instagram post.
In a statement shared on X, Bongino called Comey’s behavior a reflection of the failed leadership that, he said, continues to cast a shadow over 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.”
Comey, who was dismissed by President Donald Trump in 2017, sparked controversy on Thursday after posting a photo on social media showing seashells arranged to spell out “86 47” — a phrase widely interpreted as a call to “get rid of” the 47th president. Despite Comey’s later deletion of the post and his claim of misinterpretation, many, including Trump, argued that the message was unmistakable.
“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 deleted his initial post, then 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.”
But the FBI deputy director rejected Comey’s explainer.
“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 wrote.
He emphasized the FBI’s ongoing dedication to aiding federal law enforcement partners in investigating any threats related to public officials, both past and 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,” he added.
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 pointed out that this recent controversy reflects a broader pattern of dysfunction stemming from Comey’s leadership, which he and Patel are striving to address from within.
“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,” he said.
Bongino explained that he released his statement now because his upcoming interview with FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo, which aired on “Sunday Morning Futures” alongside Director Patel, was recorded earlier in the week, prior to the public disclosure of Comey’s post.
During the interview, both acknowledged widespread public frustration over years of unkept promises to hold former FBI and Justice Department officials accountable for their roles in the Crossfire Hurricane probe, which critics argue was launched against the Trump campaign on false grounds.
Patel suggested that some major developments could soon be in the offing. “Just give us about a week or two,” he said when Bartiromo pressed for a timeline. “But first, we must have full accountability. Justice is coming.”