Andrew Bailey is resigning as an FBI co-deputy director after about a year in the post, saying he will return to his family in Missouri. He joined the bureau in September 2025 and served on a three-person leadership team under Director Kash Patel. Patel praised Bailey's role advancing reforms, and the FBI has not yet announced whether a replacement will be named. Bailey previously served as Missouri attorney general from January 2023 to August 2025.
Andrew Bailey Resigns as FBI Co-Deputy Director, Will Return To Family In Missouri
The J. Edgar Hoover Building, former headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is seen in January on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. On Monday, Andrew Bailey, a co-deputy director of the FBI, announced his resignation from the agency. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI
Andrew Bailey announced he is stepping down as a co-deputy director of the FBI after roughly one year in the role, saying he is leaving "to return to my family in Missouri." Bailey joined the bureau in September 2025 and served as part of a three-person senior leadership team under Director Kash Patel.
Bailey had served alongside conservative commentator and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino until Bongino left earlier this year and was replaced by longtime FBI special agent Chris Raia. The bureau has not yet said whether it will name a replacement or leave Raia as the sole co-deputy director.
"I am confident Director Patel will continue to reform the FBI, combat violent crime, defend the homeland, ensure strong organizational accountability and restore public trust in this institution of excellence," Bailey wrote on social media.
Director Kash Patel praised Bailey's work, saying Bailey made "a fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms," according to reporting in The New York Times.
Before joining the FBI, Bailey served as Missouri's attorney general from January 2023 until he resigned in August 2025 to accept the federal post. As attorney general, he filed a lawsuit against Starbucks over its diversity, equity and inclusion policies and sought to block U.S. Justice Department election monitors from entering polling places, citing concerns about enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act during the Biden administration.
Dan Bongino, who left the co-deputy role in January to return to podcasting, is a conservative podcaster and former U.S. Secret Service agent. Bongino had previously clashed with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi over the release of files tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Bailey's departure creates a vacancy in the bureau's top ranks during a period of organizational change. The FBI has not provided a timeline for naming a successor.
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