In what appears to be a first for the FBI, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced Monday that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will serve as co-deputy director of the agency after a rift arose last month with Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Bailey will serve beside Bongino, Bondi and Patel told Fox News Digital, which was first to report the announcement. Bongino was tapped as the FBI’s sole deputy director earlier this year and caused a stir in July when he largely excommunicated himself from most of his colleagues following a significant rift with Bondi over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “He has served as a distinguished state attorney general and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service. His leadership and commitment to country will be a tremendous asset as we work together to advance President Trump’s mission.”
The deputy director historically manages the bureau’s day-to-day operations. It is not immediately clear how Bongino and Bailey will split the duties of co-deputy directors.
Bailey was under consideration to lead the FBI before the president’s inauguration. He interviewed for the job with Trump late last year in Mar-a-Lago around the same time Patel interviewed for the position. Ultimately, Trump wasn’t impressed with the Missouri official, CNN reported, and said that Bailey did not fit the mold of the legal bulldog the president-elect wanted to helm the FBI.
Bongino’s future in the agency has been in question since the internecine squabble over the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files that Trump himself wanted tamped down.
“To Missouri, thank you,” Bailey wrote on social media. “My tenure as Attorney General has been the honor of my professional career, but what has made it truly meaningful has been the opportunity to serve my home state. Together, we have defended the rule of law and safeguarded our freedoms. I am forever grateful.”
Following the news of Bailey’s appointment, Bongino posted on social media, “Welcome” with three American flag emojis.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Josh Campbell contributed to this report.
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