A disgraced FBI veteran’s betrayal has rocked the bureau’s credibility. Charles McGonigal, once a top counterintelligence official, leaked sensitive details about a probe into a Chinese firm tied to Hunter Biden’s business ventures, as Just the News reports. His fall from grace exposes a tangled web of high-stakes investigations.
McGonigal’s leaks centered on CEFC, a Chinese conglomerate linked to Hunter Biden, while he oversaw major FBI cases from Chinese espionage to Trump-Russia probes. From 2010 to 2012, he led a hunt for a Chinese mole that saw over a dozen CIA sources vanish or die. Yet, he himself fed information to a China-linked associate, casting doubt on his loyalty.
In 2010, McGonigal investigated a CIA mole, later pinpointing Jerry Chun Shing Lee as a suspect. Lee, caught with classified notes, conspired with Chinese intelligence but wasn’t arrested until 2018, despite the FBI’s chance to nab him earlier. The delay raises questions about the bureau’s judgment under McGonigal’s watch.
Mole hunt, leaky ship
McGonigal’s role in the mole hunt was critical, yet he leaked details about CEFC to a figure tied to Albanian and Chinese interests. “A veteran FBI counterintelligence agent, Charles McGonigal, was assigned to run it,” the New York Times noted, but his own leaks to China-linked targets mock that legacy. The hypocrisy stinks of double standards.
By 2016, McGonigal was section chief at FBI headquarters, overseeing cyber-counterintelligence. Promoted by James Comey to lead New York’s counterintelligence division, he juggled probes into Huawei, WikiLeaks, and terrorist attacks like TWA Flight 800. His résumé, though glittering, now looks like a roadmap of compromised trust.
McGonigal’s fingerprints were on the Trump-Russia probe, Crossfire Hurricane, which branded Trump a Russian asset. He received early tips from Alexander Downer about Russian “dirt” on Clinton, sparking the investigation. Yet, his own leaks to foreign players suggest the FBI’s moralizing was a selective charade.
Crossfire Hurricane’s tainted roots
“I’m sure you will be glad once Tuesday has come and gone,” McGonigal texted agent Peter Strzok before the 2016 election, hinting at political bias. The FBI’s briefing to Clinton’s campaign in 2015 was a cozy heads-up about Turkish influence, while Trump’s 2016 briefing doubled as a fishing expedition. Lindsey Graham called it a “clear double standard” in 2020, and McGonigal’s role fuels the skepticism.
McGonigal’s defense lawyer, Seth DuCharme, praised his “extraordinary service” in sentencing memos, conveniently ignoring his client’s Chinese mole hunt or Crossfire ties. DuCharme’s selective storytelling sidesteps the inconvenient truth: McGonigal’s leaks undermine his heroic narrative. The omission reeks of spin.
In 2017, McGonigal fretted over leaks about a FISA warrant on Trump aide Carter Page, texting, “It will create a real issue for us if it is made public.” The irony is rich — McGonigal, the leaker, feared leaks. His actions suggest the FBI’s internal rot ran deeper than suspected.
Hellbound and Down 