Outgoing FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey is vehemently rejecting any suggestions that internal turmoil at the bureau prompted his departure, stating exclusively to Fox News Digital that his exit is “100% about my need to get home and raise my four small children.” Bailey, who is leaving after just over a year, directly confronted what he termed “lies” from some media outlets and offered a strong defense of FBI Director Kash Patel, asserting that any claims of Patel focusing on anything other than national security are “bold-faced lies.” Bailey emphasized his and the team’s dedication, working tirelessly to ensure mission accomplishment and protect Americans. He highlighted his role in significant FBI reforms, including bolstering child protection efforts by adding 55 agents and increasing victim service providers, and praised the bureau’s “top-notch” victim services program. Bailey framed his tenure as part of a “truly historic transformation” under President Trump and Director Patel, citing initiatives like homeland security task forces, the designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and a significant increase in task force officers. He pointed to a 20% reduction in homicides, thousands of violent offenders arrested, and numerous child victims rescued as evidence of the administration’s successful approach, alongside substantial seizures of fentanyl and arrests of foreign terrorist organization members. Bailey also detailed efforts to shift resources from headquarters to field offices, streamline approvals, and eliminate the DNA backlog, asserting that the FBI’s sole considerations are protecting Americans and upholding the Constitution. He characterized criticism of Patel as resistance from the “status quo” and alleged the FBI had been previously “weaponized,” with Patel aiming to restore its core mission.
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
