Bailey confirmed the move Monday morning on social media. An internal FBI email said he was leaving for family reasons, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC News. He had worked alongside then-Deputy Director Dan Bongino under FBI Director Kash Patel, in a role created specifically for him when he left the Missouri attorney general's office to join the bureau.
The FBI referred a request for comment elsewhere, and it's not yet clear who, if anyone, will fill the co-deputy director role Bailey is vacating.
Bailey's exit marks the latest departure from the FBI's senior ranks after just a short stint at the top. The unusual co-deputy structure, built around one man's arrival, now sits with an open question mark where his name used to be.