By Steve Neavling
The Trump administration has appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as a deputy director of the FBI, a move that left many agents puzzled.
Bailey will serve alongside Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and right-wing podcast host who has openly complained about the demands of the job, The New York Times reports.
“Thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as our new FBI co-deputy director,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on social media. “As Missouri’s attorney general, he took on the swamp, fought weaponized government, and defended the Constitution. Now he is bringing that fight to DOJ.”
Bongino acknowledged the announcement with a brief post: “Welcome,” followed by three American flag emojis.
The decision drew confusion from current and former FBI officials, who said they had never heard of a co-deputy director. FBI Director Kash Patel said Bailey would “be an integral part of this important mission” and that the bureau would work to “accomplish the goals set forth when an overwhelming majority of American people elected President Donald J. Trump again.”
Bailey, a Republican and longtime Trump ally, is expected to step down as attorney general. His likely successor is Catherine Hanaway, a former federal prosecutor.
Trump once considered Bailey for attorney general and even FBI director, but passed him over, telling aides he seemed “too laid back,” according to people briefed at the time.
