IC Workforce & Organization — 2026-09-29

FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey Resigns After Acrimonious Year Under Director Patel

BLUFBailey's exit consolidates Patel's unchecked control of the FBI, and a permanent replacement or return to a single deputy structure is unlikely by October 31.

FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey announced on X on Monday that he is stepping down to return to his family in Missouri, and Director Kash Patel thanked him publicly 12. CBS News, citing multiple sources, reported the resignation takes effect October 2 3. CBS and CNN sources described a strained Patel-Bailey relationship from early in his tenure, and CBS's two sources said Patel cut Bailey out of meetings because he kept flagging unconstitutional actions 23. An unnamed senior administration official told Axios that Bailey "wasn't doing anything" on election matters, though Axios also reported he was in charge of the January Fulton County, Georgia, election-center raid 1. Christopher Raia remains the other co-deputy director, and CNN reported it is unclear whether the bureau will restore a single deputy 23.

Analysis
A permanent replacement for Bailey, or a return to a single deputy, is unlikely by October 31. Christopher Raia already runs day-to-day operations, so no operational gap forces a decision, and Patel's distance from Bailey suggests little appetite for seating a deputy with independent standing before the midterms. Confidence is high because four outlets independently agree on the timing and Raia's continued role, and none reports a search or a candidate. The White House could instead move quickly to install a loyalist and signal control, or Patel could restore a single career deputy to steady a bureau facing turnover. If neither happens, Raia stays the sole deputy-level official through the midterms. A filled post would signal the co-deputy structure is abandoned and draw scrutiny to who controls election-related casework.
5 sources
  1. Kash Patel's FBI loses deputy director Andrew Bailey - Axios
  2. One of Kash Patel's deputies resigns from the FBI - CNN
  3. Top FBI official Andrew Bailey, who was once widely seen as Patel successor, resigns - CBS News
  4. FBI Deputy Chief Quits After Just One Year of Working With Kash Patel - The New Republic
  5. Andrew Bailey, No. 2 at FBI, resigns in latest shake-up at bureau - The Washington Post

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