Questions are swirling inside the FBI after Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash 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.

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.