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Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

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Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

The deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (formerly known as the associate director) is a senior United States government position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The office is second in command to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the director is absent or the position is vacant, the deputy director automatically takes on the additional title and role of acting director. The office is also the highest position attainable within the FBI without being appointed by the president of the United States. Responsibilities as deputy director include assisting the director and leading prominent investigations. All other FBI executives and special agents in charge report to the director through the deputy director. Dan Bongino has been the 20th deputy director in March 2025. In August 2025, the Department of Justice announced a co-deputy structure, with Missouri attorney general Andrew Bailey appointed to serve alongside Bongino. Bailey assumed the role September 8, 2025 after resigning as attorney general.

Infobox

Reports to
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Appointer
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Inaugural holder
Clyde Tolson (BOI)
Formation
1930 (as Associate Director)
Deputy
Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Tables

· Deputy directors
Start
Start
No.
Start
1
1
No.
1
Officeholder
Clyde Tolson
Term
1930
Term
May 2, 1972
Director
J. Edgar Hoover
President
Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
No.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
No.
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
No.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
No.
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
No.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
No.
Richard Nixon
2
2
No.
2
Officeholder
Mark Felt
Term
May 3, 1972
Term
June 22, 1973
Director
Vacant
President
Richard Nixon
3
3
No.
3
Officeholder
James B. Adams
Term
June 22, 1973
Term
February 5, 1978
Director
Clarence M. Kelley
President
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
No.
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
No.
Jimmy Carter
4
4
No.
4
Officeholder
May 11, 1979
Term
William H. Webster
5
5
No.
5
Officeholder
Floyd I. Clarke
Term
May 11, 1979
Term
July 19, 1993
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
No.
Ronald Reagan
William S. Sessions
William S. Sessions
No.
William S. Sessions
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
No.
Bill Clinton
6
6
No.
6
Officeholder
David G. Binney
Term
February 1994
Term
December 1994
Director
Louis Freeh
7
7
No.
7
Officeholder
Larry A. Potts
Term
February 1995
Term
May 2, 1995
May 2, 1995
May 2, 1995
No.
May 2, 1995
8
8
No.
8
Officeholder
Weldon L. Kennedy
Term
August 8, 1995
Term
February 1997
9
9
No.
9
Officeholder
William J. Esposito
Term
February 28, 1997
Term
September 30, 1997
10
10
No.
10
Officeholder
Robert M. Bryant
Term
October 1, 1997
Term
October 31, 1999
11
11
No.
11
Officeholder
Thomas J. Pickard
Term
November 1, 1999
Term
November 30, 2001
Thomas J. Pickard
Thomas J. Pickard
No.
Thomas J. Pickard
Officeholder
George W. Bush
12
12
No.
12
Officeholder
Bruce J. Gebhardt
Term
2002
Term
2004
13
13
No.
13
Officeholder
John S. Pistole
Term
October 1, 2004
Term
May 17, 2010
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
No.
Barack Obama
14
14
No.
14
Officeholder
Timothy P. Murphy
Term
July 8, 2010
Term
August 31, 2011
15
15
No.
15
Officeholder
Sean M. Joyce
Term
September 1, 2011
Term
November 30, 2013
James Comey
James Comey
No.
James Comey
16
16
No.
16
Officeholder
Mark F. Giuliano
Term
December 1, 2013
Term
February 1, 2016
17
17
No.
17
Officeholder
Andrew McCabe
Term
February 1, 2016
Term
January 29, 2018
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
No.
Donald Trump
Christopher A. Wray
Christopher A. Wray
No.
Christopher A. Wray
18
18
No.
18
Officeholder
David Bowdich
Term
January 29, 2018
Term
April 13, 2018
April 13, 2018
April 13, 2018
No.
April 13, 2018
19
19
No.
19
Officeholder
Paul Abbate
Term
February 1, 2021
Term
January 20, 2025
Director
Joe Biden
–
–
No.
–
Officeholder
Robert KissaneActing
Term
January 20, 2025
Term
March 17, 2025
Director
Kash Patel
President
Donald Trump
20
20
No.
20
Officeholder
Dan Bongino
Term
March 17, 2025
Term
Incumbent
-
-
No.
-
Officeholder
Andrew Bailey
Term
September 8, 2025
No.
Portrait
Officeholder
Term
Director
President
Start
End
1
Clyde Tolson
1930
May 2, 1972
J. Edgar Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
2
Mark Felt
May 3, 1972
June 22, 1973
Vacant
Richard Nixon
3
James B. Adams
June 22, 1973
February 5, 1978
Clarence M. Kelley
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
4
April 6, 1978
May 11, 1979
William H. Webster
5
Floyd I. Clarke
May 11, 1979
July 19, 1993
Ronald Reagan
William S. Sessions
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
6
David G. Binney
February 1994
December 1994
Louis Freeh
7
Larry A. Potts
February 1995
May 2, 1995
May 2, 1995
July 14, 1995
8
Weldon L. Kennedy
August 8, 1995
February 1997
9
William J. Esposito
February 28, 1997
September 30, 1997
10
Robert M. Bryant
October 1, 1997
October 31, 1999
11
Thomas J. Pickard
November 1, 1999
November 30, 2001
Thomas J. Pickard
Robert Mueller
George W. Bush
12
Bruce J. Gebhardt
2002
2004
13
John S. Pistole
October 1, 2004
May 17, 2010
Barack Obama
14
Timothy P. Murphy
July 8, 2010
August 31, 2011
15
Sean M. Joyce
September 1, 2011
November 30, 2013
James Comey
16
Mark F. Giuliano
December 1, 2013
February 1, 2016
17
Andrew McCabe
February 1, 2016
January 29, 2018
Donald Trump
Christopher A. Wray
18
David Bowdich
January 29, 2018
April 13, 2018
April 13, 2018
February 1, 2021
19
Paul Abbate
February 1, 2021
January 20, 2025
Joe Biden
–
Robert KissaneActing
January 20, 2025
March 17, 2025
Kash Patel
Donald Trump
20
Dan Bongino
March 17, 2025
Incumbent
-
Andrew Bailey
September 8, 2025

References

  1. Serves concurrently with Dan Bongino as co-deputy director.
  2. Associated Press
    https://apnews.com/article/fbi-missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey-7381b4b7b14d86da8c788ab99071b538
  3. Reuters
    https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/missouri-attorney-general-named-co-deputy-director-fbi-2025-08-19/
  4. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/11/us/no-2-man-at-fbi-important-manager-retires-this-month.html
  5. www.govinfo.gov
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRECB-1999-pt20/html/CRECB-1999-pt20-Pg29698.htm
  6. "FBI Deputy Director Thomas J. Pickard Announces his Retirement"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20070522100745/http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/pickard103101.htm
  7. "Andrew G. McCabe Named Deputy Director of the FBI"
    https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/andrew-mccabe-named-deputy-director-of-the-fbi
  8. CNBC
    https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/29/fbi-deputy-director-andrew-mccabe-frequent-target-of-trumps-ire-steps-down-nbc-news.html
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