Top FBI official Andrew Bailey, who was once widely seen as Patel successor, resigns

September 28, 2026 / 1:00 PM EDT / CBS News

Andrew Bailey, FBI co-deputy director who was once widely viewed as a potential successor to FBI Director Kash Patel, is resigning, he announced Monday.

His resignation takes effect Oct. 2, multiple sources said. In an email to agents Monday morning and a post on X about his resignation, Bailey cited family reasons. In an X post, Patel thanked Bailey for "his fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms."

Bailey was previously the Missouri attorney general who was brought in to help ease reported tensions between former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. He was elevated to co-deputy, a position that had always been filled by a career staffer. It marked the first time that the job was split between two people.

From the outset, Bailey's relationship with Patel was troubled. Initially, Bailey was not invited to meetings, according to two sources familiar with their dynamic, with one adding that Patel instructed staff to refer to him as director, to Bongino as deputy director and Bailey as co-deputy director.

The sources added that Patel consistently kept Bailey at arm's length and cut him out of meetings the deputy…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/