
OAN Staff Blake Wolf and Brooke Mallory
12:28 PM – Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have announced that Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will serve as the FBI’s co-deputy director — alongside Dan Bongino.
Bailey’s tenure as attorney general will conclude on September 8th, after which he will assume the position of co-deputy director.
“I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Bailey stated. “I extend my deepest gratitude to President Trump and U.S. Attorney General Bondi for the privilege to join their state mission to Make America Safe Again.”
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“My life has been defined by a call to service, and I am once again answering that call, this time at the national level,” Bailey added.
Bailey, a U.S. Army veteran, has served as Missouri’s attorney general for around two-and-a-half years. During his time as attorney general, Bailey repeatedly filed lawsuits challenging then-President Joe Biden’s policies.
In April last year, he filed a lawsuit targeting the “SAVE” Plan, an income-driven repayment program, arguing that it would cost Americans $475 billion and was unconstitutional. A federal court granted his motion to block the plan, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld this decision in June.
Additionally, Bailey challenged the Biden administration’s “parole in place” rule — which would have allowed millions of illegal aliens to circumvent the law and obtain permanent residency.
Another notable achievement for the soon-to-be FBI co-deputy director centers on his previous response to the 1,100 reported human trafficking cases in the state of Missouri. This discovery led him to establish an anti-human trafficking task force, which facilitated the clearance of backlogged Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits and strengthened the prosecution of sexual assault cases.
Bailey’s extensive legal and investigative experience, demonstrated loyalty to his party, and commitment to protecting sexual assault victims, likely contributed to his elevation to a senior role within the FBI—an agency that has prioritized dismantling human trafficking networks.
“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,” added FBI Director Kash Patel.
Under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has made significant progress in combating violent crimes against children and human trafficking. In the first 200 days of President Trump’s second term, the FBI arrested over 1,600 individuals for violent crimes against children, including 270 arrests for human trafficking.
“Patel’s FBI has rescued 4,000 child victims — a 33% increase from 2025; seized 1,500 kilos of fentanyl; and seized 6,300 kilos of methamphetamines,” Fox News reported.
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