FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has debunked a recent New York Times hit piece, accusing the liberal outlet of sensationalizing a recent sparring match he undertook with fellow agents.
Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent, strongly rebuked the Times for including in its story a retelling of a face-off on the wrestling mat with another agent.
“Adam Goldman of the NY Times is getting ready to run another one of their ‘journalism’ exposé pieces about me spending time in our FBI training facility ground fighting with our dedicated and skilled defensive tactics instructors,” Bongino wrote online Sunday.
“Their big news ‘hook’ is that after a solid few rounds of grappling, I injured my shoulder.”
The Times wrote that several former agents said Bongino lost a bout against younger agents skilled in jiu-jitsu.
“The instructor I was grappling with got the best of me, because he’s incredibly talented,” his statement continued. “That’s why he’s there.”
“And it was not an ‘injury’ but a bit of swelling in my right elbow, not shoulder, because I’m 50 years old and I can’t recover like I used to. But I felt it was important to get on the mats anyway, because that’s what men do.”
While it’s hard to say whether Bongino’s statement influenced the paper’s reporting, the Sunday night online edition did not mention any injury Bongino suffered as a result of the sparring.
Instead, the coverage was devoted to criticism of the Bureau by Kyle Seraphin, a former agent who has poked fun at FBI Director Kash Patel for “taking selfies with the Hostage Rescue Team” and also suggested that FBI culture may have “captured” the director and his number two.
Other features in the Sunday edition story include rumors about Patel’s romantic life, reportedly “making time” for Alexis Wilkins, 26, a country music singer he has visited in Nashville on multiple occasions.
He was also scolded for using the FBI’s private jet for his travel despite agency requirements for security reasons.
The trips were embellished as jet-setting affairs intended to boost Patel’s personal brand.
Patel has not yet acknowledged the story, as his social media pages remain on message, touting the arrest of criminal illegal immigrants and successful raids in partnership with agents from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, we are actively working to identify, disrupt, and dismantle their networks. We will not allow foreign-backed criminal organizations to take root in our communities,” reads part of his most recent post.
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