# FBI No. 2 Bailey Resigns, Insider Says He 'Did Nothing'

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/fbi-no-2-bailey-resigns-insider-says-he-did-nothing
- Published: 2026-09-29T01:12:08.145771+00:00
- Topics: fbi, kash-patel, trump-administration, personnel-turnover, election-integrity

## What the left says
- Bailey's exit adds to a pattern of high-level departures under Patel, raising questions about instability and turnover at the top of the bureau.
- A senior administration official's blunt assessment that Bailey 'did nothing' and had no real portfolio on election security undercuts the polished farewell statements and suggests his position may have been largely symbolic or politically motivated from the start.
- Bailey's departure just over a month before the midterms is notable given his oversight of election security matters, raising questions about continuity in that role during a sensitive period.
- Reporting that Bailey was frustrated over the demotion of two counterterrorism agents involved in investigating harassment of a Cabinet official's family suggests internal friction over how the FBI handles politically sensitive cases.

## What the right says
- Bailey is leaving on good terms, with both he and Patel publicly praising each other's service and emphasizing accomplishments like historic crime reduction under Trump's leadership.
- Bailey's stated reason is simple and sympathetic: returning to his family in Missouri after a demanding year of public service, including prior work as attorney general and time in the FBI's unconventional co-deputy structure.
- Bailey's tenure included high-profile efforts like overseeing the Fulton County election integrity raid, reflecting substantive work rather than an empty role.
- The co-deputy director arrangement was always a novel, transitional structure, so personnel changes in that position reflect organizational evolution rather than dysfunction.

## Common ground
- Andrew Bailey announced his resignation as FBI co-deputy director on Monday, citing a return to his family in Missouri.
- Bailey joined the FBI in August 2025 in a newly created co-deputy director role alongside Dan Bongino, who left in December 2025 to return to podcasting.
- Bailey previously served as Missouri's attorney general before joining the bureau.
- Both Bailey and FBI Director Kash Patel publicly thanked each other for their working relationship in statements posted on social media.

## Sources
- [Townhall](https://townhall.com/news/mattvespa/2026/09/28/deputy-fbi-director-to-leave-post-n2683718) (Right)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/28/fbi-kash-patel-andrew-bailey-leaves) (Lean Left)
- [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/28/co-fbi-deputy-director-andrew-bailey-steps-down-return-his-family/) (Unknown)
- [Daily Caller](https://dailycaller.com/2026/09/28/andrew-bailey-leaves-fbi-kash-patel-dan-bongino) (Right)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-fbi-official-conservative-favorite-to-leave-agency-after-year-on-job) (Right)
- [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-co-deputy-director-andrew-bailey-resigns-after-year-role) (Right)
- [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/government/fbi-co-deputy-director-andrew-bailey-resigns-agency?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right)
- [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/andrew-bailey-joined-fbi-co-deputy-position-leave-bureau-rcna600270) (Lean Left)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/beccalower/2026/09/28/fbi-deputy-director-steps-down-from-unique-role-while-praising-kash-patels-reform-n2207468) (Unknown)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6115476-fbi-deputy-director-andrew-bailey-resignation/) (Center)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/09/28/andrew-bailey-no-2-fbi-resigns-latest-shake-up-bureau/) (Lean Left)
- [Washington Times](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/28/fbi-co-deputy-director-andrew-bailey-departs-post-one-year/) (Right)

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