The Fight: A Secret Service Agent’s Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine

191 Pages·2016·0.95 MB·English

by  Dan Bongino

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Table of Contents
About the Author
Copyright Page

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This book is dedicated to my wife, Paula, and my daughters Isabel and Amelia.
Your love and support have made every day a gift, and every moment the
beginning of a new adventure.
This is a true story, though some names and details have been changed.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
If one’s life is measured by the impact that they have had on the lives of others,
then the value of the lives of the people I want to acknowledge here are
immeasurable. My wife Paula grew up on the tough streets of Cali, Colombia,
and came to the United States as a child. She overcame a series of obstacles,
which have broken the souls of many others, and became a successful business
woman, an incredibly dedicated mother, and an inspiration to me during those
times where I questioned everything. This book is dedicated to Paula and to my
two daughters, Isabel and Amelia, because, without their love and support, there
would be no story to tell and no passion to tell it with.
I would also like to thank Senator Mike Lee, Senator Rand Paul, former
Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Congressman Louie Gohmert, and former
Congressman Allen West for believing in me when I needed support in my fight
for a better tomorrow. There are some good men and women left in politics and
these individuals are proof of that.
Thank you to Sean Hannity, and to Lynda, Lauren, and Jason, from the Sean
Hannity radio show team, for making this story, and this book possible. Lynda
selflessly returned our call and lent a hand when we needed a break, and Lynda
and Lauren always seemed to know when I needed a supportive message during
a stressful time. And thank you Sean for giving me a chance to be heard by
millions on your show. Thank you to Mark Levin and Rich from the Mark Levin
radio show for constantly supporting me and being there for me when I needed
it. Mark is a true believer in the cause and his passion serves as a daily reminder
of what’s at stake in this fight. Thank you to Glenn Beck for being a friend when
I needed careful advice on how to best fight the good fight. It was your show
covering Hayek that motivated me to change direction.
Finally, I would like to thank my campaign team led by Sharon Strine, Maria
Pycha, Ally McMahon, Phil Reboli, Jan Schultz, Jerry DeWolf, and Diana
Umstot. They refused to quit when the odds were stacked against us, and
organized the many dedicated volunteers who selflessly gave their time and
energy to join the fight. Dave, Ric, Jeff, Sara, Skip, Kat, Bob, Lisa, Jon, Josh,
Missy, Eric, Mary Jane, Sean, Leigh, Dylan, Betsy, and to the many others who
helped, I will never forget your efforts.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
“Why should I care about what a former Secret Service agent and former
political candidate has to say about governing, leadership, or anything else?” If
you picked up this book out of curiosity and are asking yourself that question,
then I understand. I understand your hesitancy because I am a born skeptic with
a penchant for questioning nearly everything. My first car was a white Ford
Escort and the first bumper sticker I placed on that car read, “Question
Authority.” As you read the book, I ask that you never relinquish your
skepticism and that you remember why I chose to write this book. I chose to
write the book because some of the best sports coaches were not the most
naturally gifted players. Many of these talented and creative coaches were
mediocre players who overcame poor genetics, a lack of access to the best
training resources, and even poor nutrition and family circumstances, to make it
onto the stage with the most elite athletes in the world. They may not have been
the star of the team. They may not have been chosen for the lead role in the play.
They may not have been chosen as the solo vocalist in the choir. But they
overcame a host of challenges and difficulties, and worked their minds and
bodies to their limits to earn their spot on that stage.
Growing up at the lower end of the middle class, in a small apartment, above
my grandfather’s bar on Myrtle Avenue in Queens, New York, I never
envisioned a future where I would be a Secret Service agent standing next to the
President of the United States and being responsible for ensuring that he is never
harmed. I never envisioned becoming the Republican Party’s nominee for the
U.S. Senate, or running for the U.S. Congress as a largely unknown Republican,
in a strongly Democratic state and district, against one of the wealthiest and most
popular members of Congress, and coming within one point of defeating him.
But I didn’t defeat him. I lost. That loss hurt deeply, but I made it on that stage
and after leaving that stage I began to think about the path that led me there and
how my failures could assist others in getting to that same stage. Maybe some of
the lessons I learned will help them become the soloist in the choir that I never
was.
I questioned everything after that tough political loss, but after a long period
of introspection I found the elusive answer I had sought. Life’s journey is a
complicated one with a number of twists and turns, some in your control and
some not and I had mistakenly believed that the outcome of my journey, not the
journey itself, was all that mattered. My political loss, along with many of my
experiences as a Secret Service special agent, were a reflection of a deeper truth,
which cannot be distilled down to the result of my effort. I realized after the
devastating political loss that the result is important, but it is the fight that really
matters. Life’s challenges are a series of fights and the effort you choose to put
into them. Some of these fights will be in vain and some will result in
tremendous successes, but the character you build and your individual
willingness to sacrifice for “the team” (a concept I will discuss in-depth later in
the book) is what you will be remembered for. The legacy you leave others with
is not simply the result of your work, but the invaluable lessons you can teach
others by the simple act of pouring all of your efforts and energy into a cause
you believe in. The result of your efforts, whether it be an election victory in
politics, a successful Secret Service security advance, or a completed work
project, may have provided you with a deliverable to your fellow man that has
marginally improved the world as we know it, but the blood, sweat, and tears
that you poured into that effort, regardless of the outcome of it, will be an
example to many others who can spread it and cause a chain reaction of hope
and optimism.
I wrote The Fight to document my successes in the Secret Service and my
failures in politics. Both of these experiences provided invaluable templates for a