By Allan Lengel
On the day that Donald Trump was being sworn into office, the FBI’s Acting Director Paul Abbate abruptly resigned, effective at noon, the New York Times reports. It was unclear who is in charge of the bureau.
Abbate, a veteran of the bureau, served as the number two person under Director Christopher Wray, who recently stepped down in anticipation of Trump replacing him. Trump has nominated Kash Patel to be the director, but he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
Abbate was a career agent unlike Wray, an attorney, who was appointed from the outside by Trump in 2017 after Trump fired James Comey.
Abbate was regarded as a straight-shooter. He was named Ticklethewire.com Fed of the Year in 2022. In 2024, Wray was given that honor.
Abbate is 57, which is the mandatory retirement age at the FBI. But in special cases, with key personnel, agents are granted extensions. Wray reportedly had given Abbate an extension to stay on.
The New York Times reports that In an email to senior F.B.I. officials, Mr. Abbate wrote: “When the director asked me to stay on past my mandatory date for a brief time, I did so to help ensure continuity and the best transition for the F.B.I. Now, with new leadership inbound, after nearly four years in the deputy role, I am departing the F.B.I.”
With a new director coming in, Abbate’s future at bureau was unclear.
