A day after a leaks war played out in the media over the (mis)handling of the Epstein files by Attorney General Pan Bondi that started with reports that a disgruntled Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino had not come to work on Friday and featured rumors of threatened resignations and demands for her firing, FBI Director Kash Patel finally spoke out about the controversy.
Patel’s comment, posted to his personal X account, will not put the matter to rest, but his statement on his tenure as FBI director is pretty definitive:
“The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump — and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.”
The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump — and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.
— Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) July 12, 2025
The questions asked by many responding to Patel are, “What conspiracy theories?” and “Where are the rest of the Epstein files?”
No word from Bongino yet on his status. Laura Loomer and Axios each reported that an unhappy Bongino took Friday off and is reportedly pondering his future at the FBI.
Bondi has not commented either, but it was reported Saturday she has fired more DOJ personnel involved with the Trump and J6 prosecutions, and has posted her decision to drop charges against a doctor from the COVID era.
I’d also like to thank @SenMikeLee who has been a champion for advocating to end the weaponization of government, including to Dr. Moore.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 12, 2025
Fox News reported Saturday on a White House meeting Wednesday that precipitated Bongino not coming to work Friday (excerpt):
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was outraged this week during a closed-door White House meeting about the Department of Justice’s review of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case files, according to multiple sources.
Bongino raised his voice during a discussion with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles before storming out of the meeting, according to two sources close to DOJ leadership. Bongino also exchanged heated words with Attorney General Pam Bondi during the meeting, and the whole ordeal has led him to consider resigning from the FBI, another source said.
Another person with knowledge of the meeting disputed the characterization that Bongino yelled at Wiles or Bondi during the sitdown.
However, that person agreed that Bongino was “enraged.” The source said the deputy director was angry about the Epstein memo rollout and what he viewed as Bondi’s “lack of transparency from the start.” The memo, a joint product of the DOJ and FBI, said the two agencies had no further information to share with the public about Epstein’s case, a revelation that sparked fury among the MAGA base. The memo first appeared in Axios over the weekend, and then the DOJ and FBI published it Monday.
…Despite Bongino reportedly now breaking with leadership over the memo and weighing resignation, people familiar with the matter said as of Friday that FBI Director Kash Patel and Bondi remained in communication and that Patel is happy with his job.
…Bongino was not at work on Friday because he was so upset by the fallout from the Epstein memo, sources said. One said Bongino had not anticipated the backlash from his supporters.
The post Kash Patel Posts Statement on “Conspiracy Theories” and Staying at FBI After Leaks Drama Over Epstein Files, Bondi and Bongino appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.