Andrew Bailey resigns as FBI co-deputy director after one year

FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey announced his resignation on September 28, 2026, after just over a year in the role, citing a desire to return to his family in Missouri. His departure, effective October 2, 2026, highlights ongoing turmoil and leadership turnover under controversial FBI Director Kash Patel. Bailey's tenure was marked by an unconventional co-deputy structure alongside Dan Bongino and later Christopher Raia, as well as reported internal tensions and a strained relationship with Patel.

Andrew Bailey's resignation and background

• ▪FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey announced on Monday, September 28, 2026, that he is resigning from his post to return to his family in Missouri, effective Friday, October 2, 2026
• ▪Andrew Bailey served as the Republican Attorney General of Missouri before resigning to join the FBI in August 2025

Demotions of counterterrorism supervisors

• ▪Two senior FBI counterterrorism supervisors at the Washington Field Office were recently demoted and reassigned over the pace of an investigation into harassing phone calls to Stephen Miller's wife, Katie Miller
• ▪Reports from MS Now and other outlets suggested Andrew Bailey resigned partly due to frustration over the demotions of two counterterrorism officials at the FBI's Washington Field Office, which the FBI and internal sources denied

Dispute over Andrew Bailey's election security role

• ▪A senior administration official familiar with Bailey's departure claimed Andrew Bailey had no real portfolio on election security and resigned because he had nothing to do, a claim an FBI spokesperson contacted by Axios rejected as false
• ▪Andrew Bailey oversaw election-related investigations at the FBI, including the January 28, 2026 raid on the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Georgia

The FBI's dual-deputy leadership structure

• ▪The position of FBI deputy director has historically been filled by a single career FBI official who manages day-to-day operations for the bureau's 38,000 employees
• ▪Following Dan Bongino's resignation, career FBI official Christopher Raia was appointed as co-deputy director to serve alongside Andrew Bailey under Director Kash Patel
• ▪The FBI established an unconventional dual-leadership structure in August 2025, appointing Andrew Bailey to serve as co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino

Election investigations

• ▪The FBI has scrutinized election records from several states but has produced no evidence to substantiate Donald Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election
• ▪In May 2026, a federal judge denied Fulton County officials' request to force the FBI to return hundreds of boxes of ballots from the 2020 election

Leadership turnover under Kash Patel

• ▪Under FBI Director Kash Patel, the bureau has experienced significant leadership turnover, including the departures of top aides, experienced security officials, and career agents
• ▪FBI Director Kash Patel has faced allegations of politicized firings, including purging agents connected to investigations into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Debatable claims

• ▪Kash Patel's leadership of the FBI is politicizing the bureau
• ▪The FBI's dual-leadership co-deputy structure is an effective management model
• ▪The FBI deputy director position should be reserved for career officials