The News
The Trump administration is tapping Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as co-deputy director of the FBI, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The new hire comes after the FBI and the Justice Department landed in the center of a conservative firestorm over the Jeffrey Epstein case last month. Sources told Semafor at the time that the current deputy FBI director, Dan Bongino, and FBI Director Kash Patel were frustrated with the DOJ’s handling of documents related to Epstein and wanted more information released to the public.
At one point, a fight broke out between Bongino and Bondi over the Epstein case, with Bongino taking time off from work following the incident. Bongino considered resigning, Semafor reported at the time, though he has since returned to work and remains in his position.
It’s unclear whether Bongino plans to remain at the FBI once Bailey is formally tapped as co-deputy director, a position that doesn’t require Senate confirmation. There’s already some speculation that Bongino won’t want to remain at the No. 2 post if he’s sharing it.
“He’s not doing that,” one person familiar with the situation predicted.
Bailey’s name was floated during the Trump transition as a potential attorney general pick. His name resurfaced for that role after former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first choice, bowed out amid allegations of sexual misconduct and an uphill battle in the Senate confirmation process. Trump ultimately selected current Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment, and the White House referred Semafor to the FBI for personnel matters. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Notable
- Axios, which first reported the Bongino-Bondi dustup, has a helpful primer with more on the backstory.