NEW: FBI Leadership Gets Major Shakeup

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will be joining the FBI as an additional deputy director, a position he will serve in alongside Dan Bongino.

“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi told Fox News. “He has served as a distinguished state attorney general and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service. His leadership and commitment to country will be a tremendous asset as we work together to advance President Trump’s mission.”

The FBI, as the leading investigative body of the federal government under the Department of Justice, will always bring the greatest talent this country has to offer in order to accomplish the goals set forth when an overwhelming majority of American people elected President Donald J. Trump again,” Patel told the outlet as a statement of his own. Patel added that Bailey will be an “integral part of this important mission” and said he looks forward to “the continued fight to save America together.”

Bailey has served as the Attorney General of Missouri since January 2023

Bailey was first appointed as the Attorney General of Missouri in January 2023 in order to replace current U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO). Much like his predecessor, Bailey filed several lawsuits against the Biden Administration during his time in office, at one point securing an injunction blocking the administration’s rewrite of Title IX.

He also won a multi-billion-dollar settlement against the Chinese Communist Party over their failure to alert the world over the COVID-19 pandemic, sued the Biden Administration for documents relating to their cases against President Trump and investigated the presence of gender reassignment surgeries for minors in Missouri.

In addition, Bailey’s Office created an anti-human trafficking task force and addressed more than 1,100 reported incidents in Missouri. He also cleared the backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits to improve prosecution of sexual assault cases.

St. Louis — which has long had one of the highest homicide rates in the nation — was a major focus of Bailey’s tenure. He filed several legal challenges against the city’s top prosecutor, Kimberly Gardner, which ultimately led to her resignation.

“I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Bailey told Fox News. “I extend my deepest gratitude to President Trump, U.S. Attorney General Bondi and Director Patel for the privilege to join in their stated mission to Make America Safe Again.”

An unnamed senior administration official told the outlet that President Trump wants to see progress at the Justice Department and is hoping Bailey can provide a shakeup. The president reportedly wants to “see bad guys prosecuted, illegals deported, and corrupt politicians held accountable.”

“We need all hands on deck to accomplish all of these important goals,” the official added. “Andrew Bailey will serve as another set of credible, experienced hands to help Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel carry out the President’s mission.”