By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-28 16:46:38 | Updated at 2026-09-28 17:28:38
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WASHINGTON — FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey announced Monday he was departing his government role for personal reasons after being at the forefront of the bureau’s crackdown on violent crime as well as election integrity-related probes.
The former Missouri attorney general will be returning to his home state a little more than a year after he started in Washington.
“I want to thank President Trump, @AGToddBlanche, and @FBIDirectorKash for the opportunity to serve in the FBI,” Bailey said in a statement posted on X.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey testifies during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing in 2024. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesI want to thank President Trump, @AGToddBlanche, and @FBIDirectorKash for the opportunity to serve in the FBI. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have delivered historic results in our mission to Make America Safe Again. With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am…
— Andrew Bailey (@AndrewBaileyMO) September 28, 2026“Under President Trump’s leadership, we have delivered historic results in our mission to Make America Safe Again,” he added. “With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri.”
“I am confident Director [Kash] Patel will continue to reform the FBI, combat violent crime, defend the homeland, ensure strong organizational accountability, and restore public trust in this institution of excellence,” Bailey also said.
A source familiar with the situation told The Post that Bailey had difficulty settling in at the bureau and had struggled with being so distant from his family back in Missouri.
“I want to thank Andrew Bailey for his dedicated service to return the FBI to its core mission and fulfill President Trump’s promise to make America safe again,” Patel said in a statement.
Georgia state elected officials attempt to access the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center but are turned away in Union City, Georgia, Wednesday, January 28, 2026. REUTERS“Although Andrew is leaving the FBI in order to return to his family in Missouri, his fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms which resulted in our historic success will live on,” the bureau boss added.
“Andrew’s leadership at the FBI will be missed but we are grateful he answered the call to serve! Thanks Andrew for your tremendous dedication to the mission of this FBI.”
Bailey joined the Trump administration in September 2025, two months after reports emerged that then-FBI deputy director Dan Bongino was weighing quitting his position over the Department of Justice’s handling of its Jeffrey Epstein-related investigations.
But Bailey served alongside Bongino for the next four months, leading a crackdown on violent crime in St. Louis that netted more than 90 arrests, the seizure of three dozen guns and $310,000 in ill-gotten gains, according to the Missouri Times.
The deputy director was also on the scene of the FBI’s raid on a Fulton County, Ga., election office in connection with the president’s claims of voting irregularities in the 2020 electoral count.
Before joining the FBI, Bailey had been a thorn in the side of the Biden administration, filing several lawsuits over billions in attempted student loan forgiveness proposals and environmental regulatory issues.
