The FBI will be reexamining three prominent investigations, according to an announcement early Monday by newly appointed deputy director Dan Bongino. The cases slated for renewed scrutiny are the 2021 pipe bombings near the U.S. Capitol, the discovery of cocaine at the White House in 2023, and the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which overturned the federal right to an abortion.
“Shortly after swearing in, the Director and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that, understandably, have garnered public interest,” Bongino said in a statement. “We made the decision to either re-open, or push additional resources and investigative attention, to these cases.” Bongino added that he has requested weekly updates on these cases, and “we are making progress.”
The investigation into who placed two pipe bombs on Capitol Hill on the night of January 5, 2021, remains unsolved more than four years after the incident. The devices were discovered near the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters around 1 p.m. on January 6, 2021, as supporters of then-President Trump were storming the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results. Both buildings are located in close proximity to the Capitol. Investigators believe the pipe bombs were placed between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on January 5. Then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was evacuated from the DNC headquarters when the devices were found.
While no suspect has been publicly identified, earlier this year, the FBI released security footage of an individual sitting on a park bench, appearing to place a pipe bomb outside the DNC. A report obtained by CBS News in March 2021 indicated that the bombs contained a single method of detonation: a 60-minute kitchen timer. The devices did not detonate, and the intended time of explosion remains unclear. However, the FBI has stated that its analysis concluded the pipe bombs were viable and posed a threat to public safety.
Another case to be reexamined is the 2022 leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in the Dobbs case. The leak, which preceded the official ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, was an unprecedented breach of the Court’s confidentiality. Chief Justice John Roberts at the time described the leak as a “betrayal” and initiated a full investigation. An eight-month internal investigation conducted by the Supreme Court’s marshal, with consultation from former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, was unable to identify the source of the leak. In a 20-page report, the marshal stated that while a hack of the Court’s IT systems by an external actor was deemed “unlikely,” investigators found “no forensic evidence indicating who disclosed the draft opinion” after examining computer devices, networks, printers, and available call and text logs.
Finally, Bongino cited the discovery of cocaine at the White House on July 2, 2023. The Secret Service concluded its investigation after 11 days, reporting that a list of “several hundred” individuals who may have had access to the area where the substance was found had been compiled. However, the Secret Service stated that no fingerprints were found on the cocaine packaging, and there was “insufficient DNA” for investigative comparisons.
Discussion about this post