Christopher Bing
- Intelligence Analyst, Google
- None, The Construction Briefing – A Practical Law Podcast
Washington, D.C.
cyber, natsec and foreign affairs. Formers with ProPublica, Reuters and CyberScoop
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Articles by Christopher Bing
Patel waived FBI's polygraph security screening for Bongino Original
FBI Director Kash Patel granted waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two other newly hired senior FBI staff members, exempting them from passing polygraph exams normally required to gain access to America’s most sensitive classified information, according to a former senior FBI official and several other government officials.
FBI Director Kash Patel waived polygraph tests for deputy, senior staff
This year, an employee within the FBI’s Security Division filed a formal complaint alleging the waivers violated agency policy. The Security Division conducts employee polygraph exams and evaluates their results. Its mission is to protect the FBI from leaks of classified information and infiltration by foreign spies. The employee filed the complaint with the division director, Robert Turner, a 22-year veteran of the bureau who previously held roles in counterterrorism and counterespionage.
FBI, Trump administration, Kash Patel, politicization, security screening
FBIFBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff Published 14 November 2025 As the FBI’s deputy director, Bongino receives some of the country’s most sensitive secrets, including the President’s Daily Brief. His ascent to that position without passing a standard bureau background check is unprecedented, insiders say.
FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
FBI Director Kash Patel granted waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two other newly hired senior FBI staff members, exempting them from passing polygraph exams normally required to gain access to America’s most sensitive classified information, according to a former senior FBI official and several other government officials.
DOGE Falsely Targeted Him On Social Media. Then The Taliban Took His Family
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. It was early morning on April 1 when Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar, got a panicked message from his son. Halimi’s name had just appeared in a viral post on X, shared by none other than the site’s owner and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Halimi thought his son was joking. It was April Fools’ Day after all.
DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Errors: DOGE staffers exposed a sensitive U.S.-funded Afghanistan program and falsely suggested a contractor was involved in an off-books mission. Consequences: DOGE’s public outing led to a Taliban intelligence service crackdown in Kabul.
DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.
Tech News Tube is a real time news feed of the latest technology news headlines.Follow all of the top tech sites in one place, on the web or your mobile device.
DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.
It was early morning on April 1 when Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar, got a panicked message from his son. Halimi’s name had just appeared in a viral post on X, shared by none other than the site’s owner and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Halimi thought his son was joking. It was April Fools’ Day after all.
DOGE Targeted Him on Social Media. Then the Taliban Took His Family.
FBI searches home of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, AP source says WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is searching the Maryland home of John Bolton, who served in President Donald Trump’s first administration as national security adviser but later became critical of the president, as part of an investigation into the handling of classified documents, a person familiar with …
Criminal Justice Rollback
What We’re Watching During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely. Sharon Lerner I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency. Andy Kroll I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.
The IRS Is Building a Vast System To Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
The Internal Revenue Service is building a computer program that would give deportation officers unprecedented access to confidential tax data. ProPublica has obtained a blueprint of the system, which would create an “on demand” process allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain the home addresses of people it’s seeking to deport.
The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
Tech News Tube is a real time news feed of the latest technology news headlines.Follow all of the top tech sites in one place, on the web or your mobile device.
The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. The Internal Revenue Service is building a computer program that would give deportation officers unprecedented access to confidential tax data.
The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts. By William Turton, Christopher Bing and Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica The Internal Revenue Service is building a computer program that would give deportation officers unprecedented access to confidential tax data.
The DOGE 100: Musk is out, but more than 100 of his followers remain to implement Trump’s blueprint
In an effort launched shortly after DOGE’s creation, ProPublica has now identified more than 100 private-sector executives, engineers and investors from Silicon Valley, big American banks and tech startups enlisted to help President Donald Trump dramatically downsize the U.S. government. While Elon Musk has departed the Department of Government Efficiency, the world’s richest man is leaving a network of acolytes embedded inside nearly every federal agency.
Senators Demand Transparency on Canceled Veterans Affairs Contracts
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. What Happened: A trio of lawmakers demanded transparency from the Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday, saying the Trump administration continues to “stonewall” requests for details on the agency’s recent cancellation of hundreds of service contracts. The group, which included Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Angus King, as well as Rep.
Portland Said It Was Investing in Homeless People’s Safety. Deaths Have Skyrocketed.
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Street Roots. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. As the city of Portland, Oregon, clawed its way out of the pandemic, it faced a new set of crises: The city’s homeless population was growing. Tents lined some city blocks.
The DOGE 100: Musk Is Out, but More Than 100 of His Followers Remain to Implement Trump’s Blueprint
In an effort launched shortly after DOGE’s creation, ProPublica has now identified more than 100 private-sector executives, engineers and investors from Silicon Valley, big American banks and tech startups enlisted to help President Donald Trump dramatically downsize the U.S. government. While Elon Musk has departed the Department of Government Efficiency, the world’s richest man is leaving a network of acolytes embedded inside nearly every federal agency.
GoLocalProv | News | The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE
The Internal Revenue Service is building a computer program that would give deportation officers unprecedented access to confidential tax data. ProPublica has obtained a blueprint of the system, which would create an “on demand” process allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain the home addresses of people it’s seeking to deport.
Revealed: Government deal with startup backed by influential Trump allies under scrutiny
The ranking member of the House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation into whether the General Services Administration has given preferential treatment to a technology startup competing for a lucrative government contract. The startup is backed by some of President Donald Trump’s most influential Silicon Valley allies.
House Committee Leader to Investigate Agency for Preferential Treatment of Politically Connected Startup
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The ranking member of the House Oversight Committee is launching an investigation into whether the General Services Administration has given preferential treatment to a technology startup competing for a lucrative government contract. The startup is backed by some of President Donald Trump’s most influential Silicon Valley allies.
The DEA Once Touted Body Cameras for Their “Enhanced Transparency.” Now the Agency Is Abandoning Them.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The Drug Enforcement Administration has quietly ended its body camera program barely four years after it began, according to an internal email obtained by ProPublica. On April 2, DEA headquarters emailed employees announcing that the program had been terminated effective the day before.
Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information Or Sensitive IRS Material
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. A Treasury Department inspector general is probing efforts by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to obtain private taxpayer data and other sensitive information, internal communications reviewed by ProPublica show. The office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has sought a wide swath of information from IRS employees.
Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information
There are no officials for you to contact on Call. Thank you for your interest in this important advocacy phone call effort. While this particular call action is currently completed, you can still send an email to your congress members, support our work by visiting https://rootsaction.org and following us on social media. All U.S. House, U.S. Senate Calls will be placed to the following These are the talking points that will have the biggest impact.
Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information or Sensitive IRS Material
The request, spelled out in an email obtained by ProPublica, comes amid concerns that DOGE has overstepped its bounds in seeking highly restricted private information about taxpayers, public employees or federal agencies. A Treasury Department inspector general is probing efforts by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to obtain private taxpayer data and other sensitive information, internal communications reviewed by ProPublica show.
Inspector General Probes Whether Trump, DOGE Sought Private Taxpayer Information or Sensitive IRS Material
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. A Treasury Department inspector general is probing efforts by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to obtain private taxpayer data and other sensitive information, internal communications reviewed by ProPublica show.
Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. When a firefighter dies in the line of duty, a small team of federal health workers is often called on to pinpoint what went wrong and identify how to avoid similar accidents in the future.
Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program
Tech News Tube is a real time news feed of the latest technology news headlines.Follow all of the top tech sites in one place, on the web or your mobile device.
Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, financial technology startup Ramp published a pitch for how to tackle wasteful government spending.
Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program
4 hours ago America’s Second-Richest Elected Official Is Acting Like He Wants to Be President Billionaire Gov.
'Money to be made': Trump eyes politically connected startup to overhaul $700 billion program
9 hours ago Protect your identity from data breaches with this free, simple step. Your Social Security number is the key to many parts of your financial life, from opening a new bank account to applying for a job to renting an apartment. If thieves get their hands on your SSN, they can do serious damage to your …
Little-Known Tech Startup May Soon Make Millions Off Federal Expense Card System
Angry, shocked, overwhelmed? Take action: Support independent media. We’ve borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump’s presidency. Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming.
Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program
Four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, financial technology startup Ramp published a pitch for how to tackle wasteful government spending. In a 4,000-word blog post titled “The Efficiency Formula,” Ramp’s CEO and one of its investors echoed ideas similar to those promoted by Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk: Federal programs were overrun by fraud, and commonsense business techniques could provide a quick fix.
Trump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Program
3 hours ago President Donald Trump slammed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, saying his "termination cannot come fast enough!" a day after Powell warned about the impact of Trump's tariffs. "Unemployment is likely to go up as the economy slows, in all likelihood, and inflation is likely to go up as tariffs …
Fend for Yourself: Under Trump, Consumer Protection Bureau’s Probes of Big Tech and Finance Firms Freeze Up
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Since the Trump administration moved to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last month, the bureau has dropped nine lawsuits that it had brought on behalf of consumers.
How a Push to Amend the Constitution Could Help Trump Expand Presidential Power
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Wisconsin Watch. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. A behind-the-scenes legal effort to force Congress to call a convention to amend the Constitution could end up helping President Donald Trump in his push to expand presidential power.
Who’s Running The DOGE Wrecking Machine?
Above photo: Illustration by ProPublica. Source image: Samuel Corum/Stringer/Getty Images. The World’s Richest Man or a Little-Known Bureaucrat? Insiders tell ProPublica that Amy Gleason is only in charge on paper, while Musk’s top lieutenants really run DOGE. One person who has been in meetings with Gleason described her as having “little to no actual decision making” responsibilities.
Who’s Running the DOGE Wrecking Machine: The World’s Richest Man or a Little-Known Bureaucrat?
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. When President Donald Trump announced his marquee government cost-cutting initiative, he left no doubt about whom he intended to run it: Elon Musk. Still, questions about the scope of Musk’s authority have hounded the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency ever since.
By Christopher Bing, Avi Asher-Schapiro Verified, Annie Waldman Verified, Jennifer Smith Richards Verified
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Who’s Running the DOGE Wrecking Machine: The World’s Richest Man or a Little-Known Bureaucrat?
1 day ago The people in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe Meet the DOGE staffers and senior advisors in Elon Musk’s inner circle, and how they got there. Elon Musk has spent decades building a universe of companies that has served as an incubator for up-and-coming engineers and a proving ground for his inner circle.
DOGE’s Millions: As Musk and Trump Gut Government, Their Ax-Cutting Agency Gets Cash Infusion
The Department of Government Efficiency is funded — and acts — like a federal agency. But the White House has shielded DOGE from the rules that govern such agencies, ProPublica found as it examines the group and expands a list of DOGE workers.
As Musk and Trump gut government, ax-cutting agency gets cash infusion
by Avi Asher-Schapiro, Andy Kroll and Christopher Bing ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. While Elon Musk and his underlings demand budget cuts and layoffs across the federal government, funding for their agency — the Department of Government Efficiency — has soared to nearly $40 million, ProPublica found in a review of Office of Management and Budget records.
How a Risky State Investment in Seafood Cost Alaskans Millions and Left a Fishing Town in Crisis
This article was produced for ProPublica in partnership with Northern Journal and the Anchorage Daily News. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. The $80 billion Alaska Permanent Fund helps pay for government services and sends annual dividend checks to Alaskans. After fund trustees decided to invest in companies with Alaska ties, more than $29 million went into a deal with Peter Pan Seafood. The investment became a total loss.
ProPublica Updates Supreme Connections Database With Previously Missing Disclosures
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. We updated our Supreme Connections database with new disclosures on Thursday, adding Justice Samuel Alito’s deferred 2023 filing and eight previously missing disclosures from Justice Clarence Thomas dating back to the 1990s.
The Staffers Helping Elon Musk Dismantle and Downsize the U.S. Government, One Agency at a Time
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The Staffers Helping Elon Musk Dismantle and Downsize the U.S. Government, One Agency at a Time
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The Staffers Helping Elon Musk Dismantle and Downsize the U.S. Government, One Agency at a Time Original
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The Trump administration is not even a month old, but billionaire Elon Musk has already brought in dozens of staffers to help him change the face of the U.S. government. ProPublica has learned the names of nine additional employees connected to Musk’s government overhaul, adding to a tracker the news organization published last week.
The Staffers Helping Elon Musk Dismantle and Downsize the U.S. Government, One Agency at a Time
13 hours ago Arab voters in Michigan react to Trump's plan to take over Gaza As President Trump outlines his plan to relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries, Arab voters in Dearborn, Michigan, who supported him as a candidate, are now reacting to his comments about controlling the Gaza Strip.Feb.
The Key Figures Working Alongside Elon Musk at DOGE and in the Trump Administration
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Change Appearance On President Donald Trump’s authority alone, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been unleashed on federal agencies. Employees from Musk’s companies and those of his allies, as well as young staffers he’s recruited, are wresting authority from career workers and commandeering computer systems. While some have been public about their involvement, others have attempted to keep their roles secret, scrubbing LinkedIn pages and other sources of data.
By Avi Asher-Schapiro Verified, Christopher Bing, Annie Waldman Verified, Brett Murphy Verified, Andy Kroll, Justin Elliott Verified, Kirsten Berg Verified, Sebastian Rotella Verified, Alex Mierjeski Verified, Pratheek Rebala Verified, Al Shaw Verified
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Exclusive-Exxon lobbyist investigated over hack-and-leak of environmentalist emails, sources say
By Raphael Satter and Christopher Bing WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI has been investigating a longtime Exxon Mobil consultant over the contractor’s alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of the oil company’s biggest critics, according to three people familiar with the matter. The operation involved mercenary hackers who successfully breached the email accounts of environmental activists and others, the sources told Reuters.
Exxon Lobbyist Investigated Over Hack-and-leak of Environmentalist Emails, Sources Say
The FBI has been investigating a longtime Exxon Mobil consultant over the contractor's alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of the oil company’s biggest critics, according to three people familiar with the matter. The operation involved mercenary hackers who successfully breached the email accounts of environmental activists and others, the sources told Reuters.
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