Bondi Announces Big Addition to FBI Leadership Team
Attorney General Pam Bondi is expanding the leadership team at the FBI with another MAGA ally.
Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel are appointing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as an additional deputy director of the bureau, Fox News Digital has learned.
Bailey will serve as co-deputy director alongside current Deputy Director Dan Bongino, according to the outlet, which was the first to report the development.
“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “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,” Bondi added.
“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 Fox News Digital.
He 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.”
As Missouri’s attorney general, Bailey launched an anti-human trafficking task force that handled more than 1,100 reported cases across the state. He also eliminated the backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits, strengthening the prosecution of sexual assault cases.
In addition, Bailey’s office defended the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in civil litigation and has been a consistent advocate for law enforcement. He received the endorsement of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police.
Bailey’s office has also reported a 133% increase in criminal prosecutions at the trial court level, Fox reported.
As attorney general, he also took steps to hold public officials accountable. He called for the resignation of a sheriff over financial mismanagement and misconduct, and separately announced a grand jury indictment against a St. Louis County executive on charges of theft and election law violations.
“I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Bailey told the outlet. “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.”
A senior administration official told Fox that President Donald Trump “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.”
On the X platform, Bongino tweet-quoted Fox News’ Brooke Singman, who announced the addition of Bailey, writing, “Welcome” along with three US flag emojis.
Welcome. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/nui5E7nWAt
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) August 18, 2025
Under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has already made 19,000 arrests nationwide — twice the total number of arrests recorded in all of 2024.
According to the bureau, those arrests include 1,600 individuals charged with violent crimes against children, among them 270 human traffickers. Another 1,000 arrests stemmed from investigations into foreign terrorist organizations, and three of the FBI’s “Top 10 Most Wanted” fugitives have been captured in 2025.
The bureau has also rescued 4,000 child victims — a 33% increase over 2024 — and seized 1,500 kilograms of fentanyl along with 6,300 kilograms of methamphetamines, Fox reported, adding that a senior administration official told the outlet the national murder rate is on pace to become the lowest in recorded history.
“President Trump wants to see America quickly become the safest country in the world, and he has put together the best law and order focused team in the business to accomplish that goal,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox.
