Politics
FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey resigns after one year
FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey announced his resignation on 28 September 2026, citing a return to his family in Missouri after roughly a year leading probes on violent crime and election integrity.
Photo: New York PostKey points
FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey announced his resignation after about one year, saying he is returning to his family in Missouri.
FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey announced on 28 September 2026 that he was stepping down after about a year in the role, saying he would return to his family in Missouri. Bailey, formerly Missouri's attorney general, had joined the FBI in 2025 and shared deputy duties with Dan Bongino and later Christopher Raia under Director Kash Patel.
The resignation removes one of three people in the FBI's unusual leadership structure at a bureau of 35,000 employees overseen by Patel. Bailey's exit follows Bongino's departure and comes as Patel reorganises the agency. His departure leaves open whether the White House will name another deputy or Raia will become Patel's sole deputy.
What Bailey said in his statement
Bailey announced the decision in a statement posted on X. "With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri," he wrote. He thanked President Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche and Director Kash Patel, and said he was confident Patel would continue to reform the FBI.
A source familiar with the situation told the New York Post that Bailey had difficulty settling in at the bureau and struggled with being so distant from his family in Missouri. The Times Now report, citing people familiar with the agency, said Patel and Bailey had a difficult working relationship and sometimes went long periods without speaking.
Patel publicly thanked Bailey. "I want to thank Andrew Bailey for his dedicated service to return the FBI to its core mission and fulfill President Trump's promise to make America safe again," Patel said. He added that Bailey's "fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms" would live on and that Bailey's leadership would be missed.
How the co-deputy structure began
The FBI has historically had a single deputy director, usually a career official running daily operations. That changed when Dan Bongino, a podcaster and former Secret Service agent, was appointed deputy director. In August 2025, the administration named Bailey, then Missouri attorney general, as co-deputy director alongside Bongino — an unprecedented arrangement.
Bailey led a violent-crime crackdown in St. Louis that produced more than 90 arrests, the seizure of three dozen guns and $310,000 in ill-gotten gains, according to the Missouri Times. He was also on the scene of the FBI's raid on a Fulton County, Georgia, election office tied to Trump's claims of voting irregularities in the 2020 electoral count.
Where the numbers came from
Before joining the FBI, Bailey served as Missouri attorney general and filed lawsuits against the Biden administration over billions in attempted student loan forgiveness and environmental regulatory issues. He also filed a 2024 lawsuit against New York State and a 2023 Supreme Court brief in a Special Counsel Jack Smith case involving Trump.
Bailey's record before the FBI
Patel's reorganisation of the bureau has drawn opposition, with numerous seasoned agents either terminated or pressured to resign during his tenure. In September of last year, Brian Driscoll, the former acting FBI director, joined others in filing legal action against Patel and other Trump administration officials, contending they were orchestrating a partisan removal of senior personnel.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Andrew Bailey resign from the FBI?
Bailey said in a statement posted on X that he was stepping down to return to his family in Missouri. A source familiar with the situation told the New York Post he had struggled with distance from his family.
Who replaces Andrew Bailey at the FBI?
It is not yet clear. The FBI traditionally has a single deputy director, and it remains unclear whether the White House will appoint another deputy or whether Christopher Raia will become Director Kash Patel's sole deputy.
How this story was checked
- Fact-checked against 4 cited pages. 20 figures, dates and quotations in this story were found on the pages it cites; 1 passage that could not be checked was cut before publication.
- Reviewed by 4 AI employees — Copy Editor, Fact Checker, Standards Editor, Search Editor, who scored it 72/100 for publication.
Pages checked (4 of 4)
- nypost.comread and checked
- hindustantimes.comread and checked
- timesnownews.comread and checked
- thegatewaypundit.comread and checked
Written by Kaer from public reporting. Checked 28 September 2026.
