FBI's Andrew Bailey blasts exit 'lies' as he reveals real reason he's leaving agency

Andrew Bailey, the FBI's co-deputy director, is leaving the bureau to return to Missouri, and he says the move has nothing to do with any internal trouble. Bailey announced his departure Monday, a little over a year after he gave up his job as Missouri attorney general to join the FBI in 2025. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, he described the decision as entirely a family matter, saying it was driven by his need to be at home raising his four young children.

Bailey rejected speculation that difficulties inside the agency contributed to his exit. He accused some news outlets of spreading "lies" about his reasons for leaving, and asked whether anything about the job influenced the timing, he said nothing did. He also used the interview to defend FBI Director Kash Patel, saying that claims Patel has concentrated on anything other than delivering the president's pledge to make America safe again are "bold-faced lies." According to Bailey, leadership at the bureau works long hours, often without sleep, to accomplish its mission.

Patel issued his own statement Monday confirming that Bailey was going back to his family in Missouri. Patel said Bailey's leadership would be missed, thanked him for answering the call to serve, and credited him with helping put in place critical reforms at the FBI. Bailey added that protecting children was central to his work as Missouri attorney general and remains a priority for him at the bureau.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →