One of Kash Patel’s deputies resigns from the FBI
By Josh Campbell, CNN
(CNN) — Andrew Bailey, a senior FBI official and former Republican politician, told the agency’s workforce early Monday that he is resigning to spend more time with his family, two sources familiar told CNN.
Bailey served as Missouri’s attorney general before being hired by the FBI last year in an unusual move to serve as a newly created “co-deputy” to Director Kash Patel. He was brought on to split the FBI’s deputy director role with since-departed conservative podcaster Dan Bongino during a rift between Bongino and former Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of files pertaining to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It was widely speculated within the FBI that Bailey, whose focus at the bureau included election security issues, would eventually be asked to take the reins from Patel — a development that never materialized.
Bongino resigned earlier this year and returned to his podcasting career. He was replaced by a career senior FBI agent, although the “co-deputy director” model that included Bailey continued.
The position of FBI deputy director was historically filled by one career FBI agent who managed the day-to-day operations of the workforce of 38,000 people. It is unclear whether the agency will return to that precedent.
In a social media post Monday confirming his departure from the agency, Bailey touted the delivery under his tenure of “historic results in our mission to Make America Safe Again” and said he would return to his family in Missouri.
As CNN previously reported, Bailey was originally under consideration to lead the FBI before Donald Trump’s second inauguration. He interviewed for the job with Trump in 2024 at Mar-a-Lago around the same time as Patel. Ultimately, Trump wasn’t impressed with the Missouri official, CNN reported, and said Bailey did not fit the mold of the legal bulldog the president-elect wanted to helm the FBI.
One source familiar with Bailey’s departure said relations between Patel and Bailey had quickly cooled shortly after his arrival at the agency last year and the two men were not close.
But in the announcement announcing his resignation, Bailey said he was “confident Director Patel will continue to reform the FBI, combat violent crime” and to “defend the homeland.”
Patel responded to Bailey’s announcement on social media by thanking him for his service and for fulfilling the Trump administration’s mandates.
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CNN’s Holmes Lybrand contributed to this report.
