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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has launched a scathing and public attack on former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of embarrassing the agency as authorities investigate Comey's controversial "86 47" Instagram post.
In a statement posted on X, Bongino said Comey's actions are another example of the failed leadership that continues to haunt the agency.
"Former FBI Director James Comey disgraced the FBI badge again last week," Bongino wrote, adding "the Director and I spend a lot of time cleaning up the mess left behind by former Director Comey. And his recent actions are no exception."
Comey, fired by President Donald Trump in 2017, sparked outrage after posting a photo on social media on Thursday showing arranged seashells that spelled out "86 47," a phrase widely understood to mean "get rid of" the 47th president. Although Comey later deleted the post and claimed it was a misunderstanding.
"He knew exactly what that meant. Even a child knows what that meant," Trump said Friday on Fox News.
Comey issued a statement saying he "didn't know that some people were linking those numbers to violence" and that "it had never occurred to me."
Bongino strongly rejected this explanation, describing it as part of a broader pattern of bad behavior.
"As Deputy Director of the FBI, I am charged, along with Director Patel, with managing the most powerful law enforcement agency in the world. The Director and I are also responsible for reviewing the serious mistakes made by people within the FBI in the past and ensuring that they never happen again," Bongino wrote.
He emphasized the FBI's continued commitment to supporting federal law enforcement partners investigating any threats involving public officials, past or present.
"While the FBI does not have primary investigative responsibility for investigating threats against the President of the United States, and we do not make prosecutorial decisions, we do have the ability and authority to support other federal agencies in pursuing violations of federal law," Bongino said.
The US 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 noted that this latest controversy is part of a general legacy of dysfunction inherited from Comey's leadership, which he and Patel are working to fix from within.
"As I have stated in the past, I cannot write openly about all the things that the Director and I are doing to reform the agency, but I assure you that they are happening," Bongino wrote.
Bongino, a former NYPD officer and longtime Secret Service agent, was named deputy director of the FBI earlier this year.
His leadership under Director Kash Patel reflects a broader effort by the Trump administration to restore the FBI's accountability and integrity after years of what many see as politically motivated misconduct.
The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for further comment.
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