Billionaire Peter Thiel has bankrolled some of the most anti-FBI, anti-deep state liars in American politics, including Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and Blake Masters. Yet behind the scenes, Thiel was quietly working on the government's behalf.
According to a blockbuster story from Insider, Thiel became a “confidential human source,” or CHS, to FBI agent Johnathan Buma, in 2021 after being introduced by Johnson. Buma specializes in investigating political corruption and foreign-influence campaigns. “Only people who are able to provide ‘valuable information … on a recurring basis’ are granted CHS status, according to [FBI] policy,” Insider noted.
Most, but not all, of Thiel’s donations were made before the MAGA candidates went public with their conspiracy theories, according to Insider. But both Thiel and Johnson were part of Trump’s transition team.
Thiel also makes money from tech companies Palantir and Boldend, each of which have sold products to the FBI and other federal government agencies, Insider also reported. What a coinky-dink!
Having a friend at the FBI could also come in handy given the allegedly illegal collusion between Thiel’s super PAC and Vance.
But the wildest part of the story may be that Johnson, who has also been backed by Thiel, outed him for revenge.
More from Insider:
Johnson said that he was exposing Thiel's work as a CHS as retribution for what Johnson perceives to be bad decision-making by the Founders Fund, Thiel's venture-capital firm.
Johnson also told Insider he felt betrayed that Thiel did not invest in Johnson's own startups, which he had expected Thiel to do in exchange for introducing him to Buma. Johnson said that he told Thiel that by offering the FBI a window into his contacts with foreign governments, he could demonstrate his loyalty to the United States.
Johnson is a known liar who has also claimed to be an FBI informant. Insider correspondent Mattathias Schwartz said he corroborated Johnson’s claims with two additional sources and partly by a third.
Thiel has reportedly decided not to donate to 2024 Republican candidates because of their obsession with culture wars. It is not known if he remains an FBI informant.
