It is alleged by the USA's Department of Justice that McGonigal, 54, received some USD225,000 from an agent of a foreign intelligence service who had business interests in Europe.

According to the nine-count indictment, from August 2017 and continuing through and beyond his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal requested and received at least USD225,000 in cash from the individual and travelled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals.

The individual, which the DoJ has not identified, later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility.

McGonigal is accused of engaging in other conduct in his official capacity as an FBI Special Agent in Charge that he believed would benefit the businessperson financially.

McGonigal is charged with concealing material facts and with six counts of making false statements, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment. McGonigal is also charged with two counts of falsification of records and documents, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment

No date has, at the time of writing, been set for the first appearance in Court.