Missouri Attorney General Takes Senior FBI Post

Missouri state Attorney General Andrew Bailey has announced he will be joining the Trump administration as co-deputy director of the FBI.

“I am proud to announce I have accepted the role of co-deputy director of the FBI. I extend my thanks to @POTUS and @AGPamBondi for the opportunity to serve in the mission to Make America Safe Again. I will protect America and uphold the Constitution,” Bailey said in a post on X on Monday evening. 

The top law enforcement official of Missouri announced that his resignation from the state government will take effect on Sept. 8. Bailey will serve as co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino, who has been deputy director since March. Traditionally, the deputy director position is the second in command at the FBI.

Bailey has been tapped for his new role after Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly clashed in the past with Bongino over how the Jeffrey Epstein files were handled.

The FBI and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Signal about the appointment. 

In recent years, Missouri has provided some of President Donald Trump’s most high-profile supporters. Former Solicitor General of Missouri D. John Sauer has served since April as solicitor general of the United States. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, both R-Mo., have taken to defending the president’s MAGA agenda. In March, Hawley defended the Trump administration’s effort to deport former Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian militant Mahmoud Khalil. In June, Schmitt testified before the Senate in favor of the budget rescissions package proposed by the president. 

“It has been a humbling privilege to serve as the 44th attorney general of the state of Missouri, and I am forever grateful to the people of Missouri for the opportunity to represent our state and your families. My life has been defined by a call to service, and I am once again answering that call, this time at the national level. But wherever I am called, Missouri is and always will be home,” Bailey said of his prior role in a public statement. Bailey’s replacement as Missouri’s attorney general, who would serve out the remainder of his term, will be appointed by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. 

Bailey brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to his new role in the FBI, having also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney, assistant attorney general, and general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections and the Missouri Governor’s Office.

Bailey attended the University of Missouri, where he was an ROTC cadet and participated in two combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned two bronze stars among other decorations during his military service. After completing his second deployment, Bailey attended the University of Missouri School of Law. 

Reacting to Bailey’s appointment, Bondi said, “I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as co-deputy director of the FBI. He has served as a distinguished attorney general for Missouri 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. While we know this is undoubtedly a great loss for Missouri, it is a tremendous gain for America.”

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