A stunning rift inside the FBI has been exposed, with sources saying Andrew Bailey’s abrupt exit as Kash Patel’s deputy stemmed from a bitter breakdown in their relationship.
Bailey announced on Monday that he would leave the bureau after roughly a year in the job, with his resignation taking effect October 2. He said he was stepping down to return to his family in Missouri.
“With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri,” he posted.
Bailey also offered a glowing endorsement of his boss, writing: “I am confident Director 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.”
But sources told CBS News that Bailey’s relationship with Patel was strained from the beginning.
According to two sources, Bailey was excluded from meetings, with one source saying he was repeatedly kept out because he was constantly flagging actions he believed were unconstitutional.
Another source said Patel instructed staff to refer to him as “director,” Dan Bongino as “deputy director” and Bailey as “co-deputy director.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the FBI for comment.
Bailey’s exit also comes at a particularly turbulent moment for the FBI.
His resignation followed the abrupt reassignment of two veteran counterterrorism officials over their handling of an investigation into allegedly harassing phone calls received by conservative podcaster Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Stephen and Katie Miller had complained that the FBI was not doing enough to investigate alleged threats against Katie, according to CBS News.
Two sources said the couple did not ask for anyone to be fired, but FBI officials nevertheless reassigned personnel involved in the matter.
“Senior leadership at the FBI determined they were stifling investigations into very serious threats and made a unilateral decision to remove them,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement to Bloomberg last week.
That followed an earlier incident involving the Millers. Last fall, they moved into military housing after a local activist protested Trump administration policies outside their home and encouraged demonstrators to call for a congressional investigation into Stephen Miller.
Bailey’s departure comes just one year after he was installed as the bureau’s second-highest-ranking official, initially joining the FBI alongside Dan Bongino. Bongino later left the bureau in January, leaving Bailey as one of two co-deputy directors.
Bailey had also been floated as a possible successor to Patel, although the White House has denied plans to remove the FBI director.
Patel—who has previously meddled in investigations and been accused of firing seasoned agents without clear cause—issued a statement thanking Bailey for taking up “the call to serve.”
