FBI agent who criticized the bureau under Trump is charged with disclosing confidential information
An FBI agent who criticized the bureau during President Donald Trump's first term was arrested Monday on a charge of sharing confidential FBI documents and messages to write a book about his time at the federal agency.
Johnathan Buma, a 15-year FBI veteran, was arrested as he was getting ready to board an international flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, an arrest affidavit stated.
Buma is accused of printing about 130 files of classified FBI documents and messages and later sharing the material with associates for a book he was writing about his career at the bureau.
"The book draft contained information that BUMA obtained through his position as an FBI Special Agent that relates to the FBI's efforts and investigations into a foreign country's weapons of mass destruction ('WMD') program," according to the court document. "On November 2, 2023, BUMA wrote an email to various personal associates assisting him in negotiating a book deal with a publishing company."
Buma also shared excerpts of the book that contained confidential information in posts on social media, the document alleges.
The court document stated that Buma had issues with the bureau for years.
In 2022, Buma began voicing his concerns about how the bureau handled certain investigations to various government agencies, Congress and members of the news media, according to the document.
Buma told Insider during an interview in September 2023 that when he approached his superior about how former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was working for the Trump campaign, may have been compromised in a Russian counter-influence operation, he was shut down. Buma said when he had earlier told the superior about Hunter Biden's alleged business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma, the superior was "very interested."
Fox News Digital reached out to an attorney for Buma for comment.
The U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California told Fox News Digital that Buma was ordered released on $100,000 bond after being charged with one misdemeanor count of disclosure of confidential information.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
German defence minister visits Ukraine for talks on weapons support
BERLIN (Reuters) -German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has arrived in Kyiv to discuss military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, the DPA news agency reported on Thursday. Pistorius plans to hold talks with Ukrainian government representatives about further weapons aid from Berlin, according to the report. "We are doing everything we can to support Ukraine so that it can defend itself and get into a position where Russia is prepared to enter into serious negotiations," Pistorius said ahead of his departure. The German defence ministry was not immediately available for comment. Germany is Ukraine's second-biggest military backer after the United States, whose commitment to Kyiv has been called into question, putting pressure on Europe to step up. Russia and Ukraine met for peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month in a renewed push to settle the conflict, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022. However, fighting has raged on while the two sides disagree over a number of central issues, such as territorial concessions and the prospect of Ukraine's future NATO membership. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has already travelled to Kyiv and hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Berlin since taking office in May, recently gave Ukraine the green light for "long range fire" with weapons supplied by Germany and others, angering Moscow.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia has lost over one million soldiers since February 2022
Russia has lost 1,140 soldiers killed and wounded over the past day alone, bringing its total number of personnel losses to over 1,000,000. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 12 June 2025 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses – ed.]: approximately 1,000,340 (+1,140) military personnel; 10,933 (+6) tanks; 22,786 (+3) armoured combat vehicles; 29,063 (+47) artillery systems; 1,413 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems; 1,184 (+1) air defence systems; 416 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 337 (+0) helicopters; 40,435 (+138) operational-tactical UAVs; 3,337 (+0) cruise missiles; 28 (+0) ships/boats; 1 (+0) submarine; 51,715 (+136) vehicles and fuel tankers; 3,914 (+0) special vehicles and other equipment. The information is being confirmed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Lockheed Martin shares sank as much as 7% after a report that the Pentagon is halving F-35 requests for the Air Force
Lockheed Martin shares dropped as much as 7% on Wednesday after news that the Pentagon is asking for half of the F-35s it initially forecast for the Air Force. The defense contractor's shares recovered to $456 at market close, or about 4.2% lower from $476, the price at the end of Tuesday's trading day. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that a procurement document sent to Congress indicated the Defense Department is requesting only 24 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters for the Air Force, down from 48 that officials projected in the last fiscal year. Per the outlet, the document also proposed 12 F-35s for the Navy and 11 for the Marine Corps, down from 17 and 13 fighters, respectively. Business Insider could not independently verify Bloomberg's report. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours. The US is by far Lockheed Martin's biggest customer for the F-35, with plans to buy 2,456 of the aircraft over several decades. The Air Force is supposed to eventually receive 1,763 of that total. When asked to comment on a possible reduction of local F-35 purchases this year, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told BI in a statement that the fighter is "combat proven, offers the most advanced capability and technology, and is the most affordable option to ensure the US and allies remain ahead of emerging threats." "We will continue to work closely with the Administration, Congress, and our customers to deliver this game-changing capability as the budget process continues in the months ahead," the spokesperson added. A reduced ask for F-35s can potentially be changed by Congress, which is still deliberating on official defense funding for the 2025 fiscal year ending on September 30. Lawmakers have shown they're willing to fund the advanced stealth fighter beyond the Pentagon's requests. When the Air Force requested 48 F-35s from Congress last year, it was instead offered money for 51 of the planes. Doubling the requested budget, however, would be a huge jump from that smaller boost. The Pentagon is shifting its budget The reported change could also signify an internal reshaping of the Pentagon's spending priorities under the Trump administration. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked officials to slash 8% of expenses from existing programs over the next five years so the money could be directed to Trump-favored initiatives. His announcement highlighted 17 categories protected from cuts, and the F-35 was not one of them. All of this comes as those in Trump's circles have publicly criticized the F-35 for its cost and relevance amid the rise of drone warfare. Right-wing commentator Laura Loomer, for example, slammed the F-35 program in April as a "scandal that's been quietly draining our nation's resources." And last month, Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz posted on X that the fighter program was a "$1.7 trillion disaster." While some, like Elon Musk, have suggested that drones make crewed fighters obsolete, the US military says it wants to marry the two concepts instead of abandoning the latter. The Air Force has said combining crewed fighters with drone wingmen is a key priority for the F-47, its next-generation air dominance fighter. Lockheed was in the running to produce that fighter, but lost out to Boeing. However, Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet has said that his firm wants to enhance the F-35 using the tech it created for the failed bid. Taiclet said that plans include automating the sixth-generation fighter and juicing it up to provide most of the capabilities of the F-47 for a fraction of the cost.
