Andrew Bailey FBI Exit: Co-Deputy Director Stepping Down

Andrew Bailey FBI Departure: What We Know

Bailey joined the bureau in September 2025 in a newly created “co-deputy director” position. He worked alongside then-Deputy Director Dan Bongino and reported to Patel. Two people familiar with the matter told NBC News that Bailey is leaving, and he confirmed the move on social media Monday morning.

Bloomberg Law reported that the resignation takes effect Oct. 2. Local news reports say his last day is Friday, which is the same date. No successor had been announced when those reports were published.

Reasons Given for the Exit

An internal FBI email said Bailey was leaving for family reasons, according to the two people who spoke with NBC News. In his post, Bailey wrote that he is stepping down to return to his family in Missouri. He thanked President Donald Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche and Patel for the opportunity to serve.

He also said the team had delivered “historic results” and voiced confidence that Patel will keep reforming the bureau, fighting violent crime and working to restore public trust. The FBI pointed reporters to that post instead of issuing its own statement. Patel replied by praising Bailey’s contributions, according to ABC-affiliate reporting.

Disputed Claims About Personnel Moves

MS NOW was first to report Bailey’s planned departure. According to the Washington Examiner, MS NOW also tied it partly to frustration over the recent demotion of two counterterrorism officials in the FBI’s Washington Field Office. A source told the Examiner that this account was false.

The two supervisors were reportedly reassigned to headquarters over their handling of an investigation into harassing phone calls to Katie Miller, the wife of senior White House aide Stephen Miller. Washington Field Office chief Darren Cox said the decision was made within the field office and was not ordered by Patel.

These claims rest on anonymous sourcing and have not been independently confirmed. The Examiner also reported that Bailey had recently been leading election investigations inside the bureau. The only reason Bailey has stated on the record is his return to family.

From Missouri Attorney General to the FBI

Bailey announced in August 2025 that he would resign as Missouri’s attorney general, effective Sept. 8, to take the FBI job. The Associated Press reported that he had served a little over two and a half years in that office. During that time he pursued lawsuits challenging policies of the Biden administration.

His move to Washington was one of several personnel changes at the bureau that year, and the Andrew Bailey FBI tenure lasted about twelve months in total.

The co-deputy structure was unusual. It was set up when Bongino, a conservative podcaster and former Secret Service member, held the No. 2 role. Bongino later left to return to podcasting after just under a year at the FBI.

The two-person setup stayed in place. Chris Raia took Bongino’s seat. NBC News noted that Raia is a career FBI special agent, a background closer to the tradition of filling the bureau’s second-highest job with someone who knows the institution well.

What Comes Next for FBI Leadership

Bailey’s exit is another senior departure after only a year. Whether the FBI will fill his seat, or return to a single deputy director, has not been announced. Raia remains in his role.

Patel is also dealing with pressure outside the bureau. NBC News reported that he is suing The Atlantic for $250 million over an article about his leadership, and that he has recently had heated exchanges with Democratic members of Congress. You can read the original report on the NBC News coverage of Bailey’s departure.

More details may emerge as the Oct. 2 date approaches, including who will help lead the bureau alongside Raia. For now, the Andrew Bailey FBI story rests on a short list of confirmed points: he is leaving, he has cited family, and the bureau has not named a replacement.

Readers should watch for official statements from the FBI and the Justice Department. Bailey’s own post and the internal email are the clearest sources so far. Claims about other motives remain unverified, and this article will not treat them as fact until they are confirmed on the record.

The timing also matters because the bureau has now lost both original co-deputy directors within about a year. That fact alone does not explain why either man left, but it shows how quickly the FBI’s top ranks have changed since the co-deputy structure began.

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