FBI Director Kash Patel announced Thursday that the bureau has reached agreements with 10 whistleblowers to restore their positions, security clearances, and provide back pay.
“Breaking: agreements have been reached with 10 FBI Whistleblowers (and counsel) to include a combination of back pay, security clearance, and reinstatement,” Patel posted on X. “We greatly appreciate [President Donald Trump’s] commitment to transparency and accountability. Thank you to [Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa] for working with us to make this happen.”
Patel did not elaborate on the terms of the agreements, which resolve longstanding disputes between the bureau and employees who alleged retaliation after raising concerns.
During the Biden administration, the FBI — under then-Director Christopher Wray — faced multiple whistleblower complaints alleging political bias. Several of those claims centered on the bureau’s handling of Jan. 6 investigations.
Grassley, a longtime advocate for whistleblower protections, convened multiple Senate hearings to highlight allegations of politicization inside the FBI.
The resolution marks a significant development for the bureau, which has faced criticism from lawmakers who accused it of retaliating against employees who questioned internal practices.
Questions are swirling inside the FBI after Attorney General Pam Bondi and Patel made the unprecedented move of naming Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as co-deputy director of the bureau — a first in the agency’s history.
The announcement comes amid rising tensions with current Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who has been under a microscope since a falling out with Bondi over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files last month, CNN reported.
Bailey will now serve alongside Bongino in the number-two role, Patel and Bondi confirmed to Fox News Digital, which first broke the story. Bongino, who was appointed as the FBI’s sole deputy director earlier this year, shocked colleagues in July when he largely isolated himself from internal operations following the Epstein files dispute.
“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.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed the praise in a social media post, writing: “Thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as our new FBI Co-Deputy Director. As Missouri’s Attorney General, he took on the swamp, fought weaponized government, and defended the Constitution.”
Traditionally, the deputy director is responsible for the FBI’s day-to-day operations. It remains unclear how Bongino and Bailey will divide those responsibilities under the new arrangement.
Bailey, who had been considered for the FBI director post before President Trump’s inauguration, interviewed at Mar-a-Lago late last year but was ultimately passed over after Trump said he wanted a more aggressive “legal bulldog” for the top job, CNN reported at the time.
Bongino’s future has been clouded since the reported bitter clash with Bondi over the Epstein files — a matter Trump himself sought to rein in.
In announcing his resignation as Missouri’s Attorney General, Bailey expressed gratitude and looked ahead: “My tenure as Attorney General has been the honor of my professional career, but what has made it truly meaningful has been the opportunity to serve my home state. Together, we have defended the rule of law and safeguarded our freedoms. I am forever grateful.”
He added in another statement, “I extend my deepest gratitude to President Trump and U.S. Attorney General Bondi for the privilege to join in their stated mission to Make America Safe Again.”
For his part, Bongino kept his reaction brief, posting a simple “Welcome” followed by three American flag emojis.