Andrew Bailey to Leave FBI Deputy Director Post, Citing Family Reasons

Andrew Bailey, one of the FBI’s two deputy directors, has announced his resignation after just over a year in the position, saying he is leaving the agency to return to Missouri and spend more time with his family.

Bailey announced his departure on Monday in a post on X, thanking President Donald Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel for the opportunity to serve.

“With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri,” Bailey wrote. He also expressed confidence that Patel would continue his efforts to reform the FBI, combat violent crime, defend the homeland and strengthen accountability within the agency.

CBS News reported that Bailey’s resignation will take effect on October 2. The FBI has not immediately announced who, if anyone, will replace him as the agency’s second deputy director. Christopher Raia, a veteran FBI official, remains part of the bureau’s senior leadership as a co-deputy director.

Bailey joined the FBI in September 2025 after leaving his position as Missouri attorney general. He had been appointed co-deputy director in August 2025 and initially served alongside Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and conservative political commentator.

The arrangement was unusual because the FBI had traditionally had a single deputy director serving as the agency’s No. 2 official. After Bongino left the bureau in January, Bailey continued in the role while Christopher Raia joined the leadership structure.

During his tenure, Bailey was involved in some of the FBI’s election-related investigations. He was present in January when FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Georgia and seized ballots and other records related to the 2020 presidential election.

His departure comes during a period of significant change at the FBI under Patel. Bailey’s former co-deputy, Bongino, had already left the agency, while several other senior officials and career personnel have departed or been reassigned.

Reuters described Bailey as a Republican ally of Trump and noted that the deputy director position has traditionally been occupied by career FBI officials rather than political figures. The agency has undergone changes since Trump returned to office, including a greater emphasis by the administration on restructuring and reforming the bureau.

Washington Post reporting said Bailey had been installed in the No. 2 position about a year earlier and that his departure represents another leadership change under Patel. The newspaper reported that Bailey told bureau employees he was leaving to spend more time with his family.

Patel, in a social media statement responding to Bailey’s announcement, thanked him for his service and credited him with contributing to reforms at the FBI.

Bailey’s exit comes roughly five weeks before the 2026 US midterm elections, when control of Congress will be contested. His departure therefore adds another leadership change at the FBI during a politically significant period, although Bailey himself cited family reasons for his decision to leave.

No successor had been publicly announced as of Monday.