FOLLOW US

Some high-profile appointments burn bright and fast, then vanish with a single memo. Andrew Bailey, a senior FBI official and former Republican politician, told the agency's workforce early Monday that he is resigning to spend more time with his family, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.

A Rare Hire at the Top

Bailey served as Missouri's attorney general before the FBI brought him aboard last year in an unusual move, creating a new "co-deputy" role to serve alongside Director Kash Patel. He was hired to split the deputy director job with conservative podcaster Dan Bongino, who has since departed, at a moment when Bongino was feuding with former Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of files tied to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Succession That Never Came

Inside the bureau, it was widely speculated that Bailey, whose focus included election security, would eventually be asked to take over from Patel. That handoff never materialized.

Bongino's Exit and What Followed

Bongino resigned earlier this year and returned to podcasting. A career senior FBI agent replaced him, though the "co-deputy director" model that included Bailey remained in place.

What Happens to the Deputy Director Role?

Historically, the deputy director post was filled by a single career FBI agent who ran day-to-day operations for a workforce of 38,000 people. It remains unclear whether the agency will return to that precedent now that Bailey is leaving.

Bailey's Farewell Message

In a social media post Monday confirming his exit, Bailey touted "historic results in our mission to Make America Safe Again" under his tenure and said he would return to his family in Missouri.

A Job He Nearly Held, and a Rocky Fit

As CNN previously reported, Bailey was originally under consideration to lead the FBI before Donald Trump's second inauguration. He interviewed with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2024, around the same time as Patel. Trump reportedly wasn't impressed, and felt Bailey did not fit the mold of the legal bulldog he wanted running the bureau.

Cool Relations at the Top

One source familiar with the departure said relations between Patel and Bailey cooled quickly after Bailey's arrival last year, and the two men were never close.

Public Words of Support

Still, in announcing his resignation, Bailey said he was "confident Director Patel will continue to reform the FBI, combat violent crime" and "defend the homeland." Patel responded on social media by thanking Bailey for his service and for fulfilling the Trump administration's mandates.

With Bongino gone and now Bailey too, the experiment of a two-person deputy director structure appears to be winding down, leaving open the question of who will fill the bureau's number-two role.