Dan Bongino

Dan Bongino
Personal details
Born Daniel John Bongino
(1974-12-04) December 4, 1974
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Paula Martinez
Children 2
Education City University of New York,
Queens (BS, MS)
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park (MBA)
Website Campaign website

Daniel John Bongino (born December 4, 1974) is a conservative commentator and former agent of the United States Secret Service.

Bongino is a member of the Republican Party. He has unsuccessfully run for Congress on three occasions. Bongino is known for his staunchly pro-Trump commentary, and for his criticism of Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. In 2013, Bongino published a book critical of the Obama administration where Bongino claimed to have had access to high-level discussions in the Obama administration as part of the Secret Service; Bongino faced bipartisan criticism for parlaying his role as a Secret Service into a political career.

Early life and education

Bongino was born in Queens, New York City.[1]

Bongino attended the City University of New York, where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in psychology, and Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Master of Business Administration.[2]

Professional career

NYPD

Bongino worked with the New York City Police Department for four years, from 1995 to 1999.[3]

Secret Service and book release

He joined the U.S. Secret Service in 1999 as a special agent,[3] leaving the New York Field Office in 2002 to become an instructor at the Secret Service Training Academy in Beltsville, Maryland. In 2006, he was assigned to the U.S. Presidential Protection Division during George W. Bush's term. He remained on protective duty after Barack Obama became President, leaving in May 2011 to run for the U.S. Senate.[3]

In late 2013, Bongino's book about his career as a secret service agent, Life Inside the Bubble, was released and immediately made it onto both the New York Times and Amazon Best Sellers list. The book discusses his experiences protecting presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and investigating federal crimes along with his 2012 run for the U.S. Senate in Maryland.[4]

Bongino received bipartisan criticism for using his Secret Service background as part of his run for political office and for his claim of having secret information based on conversations he overheard in the Obama White House.[5][6][1] An anonymous former colleague criticized him for trying to use his proximity to President Obama in his political career: "He's trying to draw attention to himself and he's hijacking the Secret Service brand. That's all he's got going for him." Bongino claimed to have had access to "high-level discussions" in the White House. Anonymous former colleagues said he "tends to exaggerate his importance on the presidential detail and exaggerate his proximity" and that "We don't sit in on meetings at the White House. We don't sit in on high-level meetings."[5] In response to the criticism from an anonymous former colleague, Bongino stated "There's nothing confidential in the book" and "It's not a tell-all. It's my tale of the Secret Service."[7]

Bongino defended President Obama in terms of the Birther allegations.[8]

His book, The Fight: A Secret Service Agent’s Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine was published in January 2016 and made it onto the New York Times Best Sellers list in March 2016.[9]

Media

Bongino has been a radio host and commentator on both local and national radio programs. He has been a guest host for both the Sean Hannity and Mark Levin radio shows and sometimes fills in on WMAL radio in Washington, DC and WBAL radio in Baltimore. He is a paid contributor to NRATV.[10]

Bongino currently hosts the podcast "The Dan Bongino Show".[11]

Bongino has frequently appeared on Fox News' opinion programming and InfoWars.[1]

Political views

In 2018, Bongino said of himself, "My entire life right now is about owning the libs. That’s it."[12][1] Bongino is known for his staunchly pro-Trump commentary.[1]

Bongino opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare) and penned an editorial against it.[13]

Bongino has downplayed the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections investigation, calling it a "total scam."[14] In May 2018, Bongino was quoted by President Donald Trump in one of his tweets, as Bongino attacked former CIA Director John Brennan. Bongino was quoted as saying Brennan "has disgraced the entire Intelligence Community. He is the one man who is largely responsible for the destruction of American’s faith in the Intelligence Community and in some people at the........top of the FBI."[15] Bongino was also quoted as alleging that Brennan was "worried about staying out of jail."[15]

In May 2018 after Republican Congressman Trey Gowdy and some conservative legal experts refuted Trump's claims that the FBI had spied on his 2016 presidential campaign, Bongino attacked Gowdy, saying that he had been "fooled" by the Department of Justice.[16]

Bongino is a member of Groundswell, a coalition of conservative and libertarian activists fighting to advance conservative causes.[17]

Political campaigns

2012 U.S. Senate election

Bongino ran for the U.S. Senate in Maryland in 2012.[18] Former gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy was his campaign chairman.[3] Bongino won the Republican primary on April 3, 2012, with 33.8 percent of the vote, defeating nine other candidates. He ran against Senator Ben Cardin (55.3%) and Independent Rob Sobhani (16.4%) in the November 2012 general election, finishing a distant second with 26.6% of the vote.[19]

2014 House of Representatives election

Bongino ran for the U.S. House of Representatives seat from Maryland's 6th Congressional District in the 2014 election against incumbent Democrat John Delaney. The district is considered the 9th least compact Congressional district as a result of redistricting after the 2010 census.[20] In October 2013 Bongino was endorsed by an Allen West-affiliated group.[21][22] In July 2014 Bongino was endorsed by Rand Paul.[23] Bongino lost a close race, coming within a few thousand votes of an upset victory, despite the incumbent being heavily favored according to The Cook Political Report.[24] Ultimately, Bongino could not overcome a 20,500-vote deficit in the district's share of Montgomery County—far more than the overall margin.[25]

2016 House of Representatives election

Bongino speaking at an event in February 2016

After moving to Florida in 2015, Bongino contemplated running for the United States Senate and Florida's 18th congressional district in 2016.[26][27] However, in June 2016, Bongino declared that he would seek the Republican nomination for Florida's 19th congressional district.[28] He faced Chauncey Goss, a Sanibel City Councilman who sought the seat in 2012, and Francis Rooney, a businessman and former United States Ambassador to the Holy See, in the primary.

In an August 2016 interview with a Politico reporter, Bongino went on a profanity laced rant against the reporter, who asked about a story in the Naples Daily News that Bongino said was dishonest.[29] The recorded phone call was published by Politico.[30] He later explained that he was under stress due to his wife's illness and said that the reporter had goaded him.[31] The "Constitutional Conservatives" PAC ran ads against Bongino in that race.[32] Bongino placed third in the August 2016 primary, losing the nomination to Rooney.[33]

Personal life

Bongino is married to Paula Andrea, née Martinez, who was born in Colombia. They have two daughters, Isabel (born 2004) and Amelia (born 2012). In 2012, Bongino and his wife were small business owners and their core business concentration was security-consulting, internet design and development.[34] In 2016, Bongino said the business was shut down in 2012 when he ran for office. In a June 2016 personal disclosure, he reported making a living in media.[35]

Bongino announced in April 2015 that he was moving from Severna Park, Maryland to Palm City, Florida due to "a non-emergency family situation."[36][37] In 2016 Bongino said the move was due to his wife's health condition (lupus) and to be closer to her mother.[35]

Electoral history

2016 Florida's 19th Congressional District Republican Primary[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Francis Rooney 46,800 52.73
Republican Chauncey Goss 26,520 29.88
Republican Dan Bongino 15,434 17.39
Total votes 88,754 100.00
2014 Maryland's 6th Congressional District General Election[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Delaney (incumbent) 94,704 49.7
Republican Dan Bongino 91,930 48.2
Green George Gluck 3,762 2.0
Total votes 190,536 100.00
2014 Maryland's 6th Congressional District Republican Primary[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dan Bongino 23,933 83.5
Republican Harold W. Painter, Jr. 4,718 16.5
Total votes 28,651 100
United States Senate election in Maryland, 2012[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Ben Cardin (incumbent) 1,402,092 55.41 +1.20
Republican Daniel Bongino 674,649 26.66 -17.53
Independent S. Rob Sobhani 420,554 16.62 N/A
Libertarian Dean Ahmad 30,672 1.21 +1.21
N/A Others (write-in) 2,583 0.10 +0.05
Majority 727,443 100.00
Turnout 2,530,550 68.23
Democratic hold Swing
United States Senate Election in Maryland, 2012 Republican Primary[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Daniel Bongino 66,561 33.8
Republican Richard J. Douglas 55,907 28.4
Republican Joseph Alexander 17,567 8.9
Republican Bro Broadus 10,503 5.3
Republican Rick Hoover 10,241 5.2
Republican John B. Kimble 10,088 5.1
Republican David Jones 8,002 4.1
Republican Corrogan R. Vaughn 7,869 4.0
Republican William Thomas Capps, Jr. 6,768 3.4
Republican Brian Vaeth 3,602 1.8
Total votes 204,268 100

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Tani, Lachlan Markay|Asawin Suebsaeng|Maxwell (2018-10-10). "Dan Bongino Devotes His Life to 'Owning the Libs.' Trump Hangs on His Every Word". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  2. ↑ "Learn About Daniel Bongino for U.S. Senate". bongino.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pershing, Ben (June 1, 2011). "Ex-Secret Service agent Bongino enters race to unseat Cardin". The Washington Post.
  4. ↑ Smith, Emily (13 November 2013). "Former Secret Service agent blasts 'toxic' administration". Page Six. New York Post. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Goldman, Russell (November 7, 2013). "Secret Service Agent Turns on Obama, Runs for Congress". ABC News.
  6. ↑ "The Insiders: Republicans should boycott former Secret Service agent's book". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-10-12.
  7. ↑ Joynt, Carol Ross (December 4, 2013). "What It's Like Protecting the President: Former Secret Service Agent Dan Bongino Tells His Tale". Washingtonian. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  8. ↑ Schwab, Nikki (December 9, 2013). "Conservative Former Secret Service Agent Defends Obama at Heritage Foundation". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ "New York Times Best Sellers Espionage". March 2016.
  10. ↑ Wilstein, Matt (February 21, 2018). "Fox News Mainstreams Conspiracy Theory About Parkland Students". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  11. ↑ Thomas, Ginni (March 19, 2016). "Former Secret Service Agent Explains The 'Open Rebellion' Against DC Politics". The Daily Caller.
  12. ↑ Amatulli, Jenna (2018-10-05). "NRATV Host Says 'My Life Is All About Owning The Libs Now'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  13. ↑ Greenfield, Daniel (October 18, 2013). "Ex-Secret Service Agent Blasts Obama". FrontPage Magazine.
  14. ↑ "Dan Bongino: Trump-Russia collusion story a 'total scam'". Fox News. May 19, 2017.
  15. 1 2 Shelbourne, Mallory (May 21, 2018). "Trump shares quote ripping Brennan: 'This guy is the genesis of this whole debacle'". The Hill. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  16. ↑ Cheney, Kyle (May 30, 2018). "Trump 'spygate' offensive loses steam". Politico. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  17. ↑ Corn, David (July 25, 2013). "Inside Groundswell: Read the Memos of the New Right-Wing Strategy Group Planning a "30 Front War"". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Bongino wins Republican primary for Maryland Senate seat". WMAR-TV. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Maryland Senate Election Results 2012 – Map, County Results, Live Updates". Politico. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  20. ↑ Lazarick, Len (October 3, 2012). "Maryland has least compact congressional districts in nation". Maryland Reporter. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  21. ↑ Rodgers, Bethany (September 20, 2013). "West endorses Bongino's bid". Political Notes. Frederick News-Post.
  22. ↑ Derby, Kevin (October 10, 2013). "Allen West Offers First Round of Endorsements for 2013 and 2014 Elections". Sunshine State News.
  23. ↑ Everett, Burgess (July 15, 2014). "Rand Paul aims high in blue Maryland". Politico. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  24. ↑ Hernández, Arelis R. (October 31, 2014). "In Maryland's eight congressional races, incumbents face little competition". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2014. According to the highly regarded Cook Political Report, each incumbent is heavily favored to win
  25. ↑ "Maryland House results -- 2014 Election Center -- Elections and Politics from CNN.com". CNN.
  26. ↑ Derby, Kevin (May 20, 2015). "Conservative Dan Bongino Mulls Bid for Patrick Murphy's Seat". Sunshine State News. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  27. ↑ Derby, Kevin (November 6, 2015). "Conservative Dan Bongino Ponders Entering Senate Race". Sunshine State News. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Dan Bongino Ready to Run for Congress in Southwest Florida". Sunshine State News. June 6, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  29. ↑ Phillps, Amber (August 22, 2016). "Florida Man loses his cool on the campaign trail, drops more than one f-bomb on reporter". The Washington Post.
  30. ↑ "Florida congressional candidate goes on tirade against reporter". Politico. August 22, 2016.
  31. ↑ Goins-Phillips, Tré (August 23, 2016). "Dan Bongino Explains Why He Went on Profanity-Laced Rant Against Politico Reporter". TheBlaze.
  32. ↑ Parker, Betty. ""Constitutional Conservatives" PAC airs ad against Goss, Bongino". The News-Press.
  33. ↑ Glorioso, Alexandra (August 30, 2016). "Francis Rooney wins GOP primary for Southwest Florida House". Naples Daily News. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Getting to Know Dan Bongino – Crofton, MD Patch". Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  35. 1 2 Glorioso, Alexandra; Williams, Amy Bennett (August 23, 2016). "Former Secret Service agent Bongino makes third bid for political office". Naples Daily News. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Daniel Bongino – Thank you to all of the people who have... - Facebook". Facebook. April 24, 2015.
  37. ↑ Turque, Bill (May 21, 2015). "Bongino moves to Florida, where political outlook may be sunnier". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Florida House Races Results". Politico. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  39. ↑ "Unofficial 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for Representative in Congress". The State Board of Elections. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for Representative in Congress, Congressional District 6". The State Board of Elections. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Official 2012 Presidential General Election results for U.S. Senator". The State Board of Elections. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  42. ↑ "2012 Presidential Primary Election Results". The State Board of Elections. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Michael Steele		 Republican nominee for Senator from Maryland
(Class 1)
2012		 Succeeded by
Tony Campbell
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