FBI’s longtime deputy director, who had been expected to temporarily replace director Christopher Wray on an acting basis during the transition into the new Trump administration, says he is retiring. Paul Abbate made the unexpected announcement in an email to senior officials Monday ahead of President Trump’s inauguration, CBS News confirmed.
“When the Director asked me to stay on past my mandatory date for a brief time, I did so to help ensure continuity and the best transition for the FBI. Now, with new leadership inbound, after nearly four years in the deputy role, I am departing the FBI today,” Abbate wrote in the letter, according to the Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the email.
Abbate had been running the FBI for only one day after Wray stepped down as director on Sunday. Wray was named by Trump during his first term and had been director for more than seven years. He announced his retirement when Trump said he wanted Kash Patel to be the director.
It’s unclear who will run the FBI while Senate confirmation proceedings get underway for Patel, and Abbate’s email did not say who would replace him atop the bureau during the interim. However, a person familiar with the situation told the AP that the bureau does have a succession plan.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
The FBI had no official comment on the retirement or who is now running the bureau to CBS News.
Abbate’s abrupt departure after 28 years with the FBI creates additional tumult for a law enforcement agency that had already been preparing for upheaval in the event Patel is confirmed. A Trump loyalist, Patel has repeatedly criticized FBI leadership and decision-making and has alarmed Democrats with statements that suggest he would be willing to use the FBI to exact retribution on Trump adversaries.
Abbate held a variety of leadership roles in his nearly three-decade career at the FBI, including head of the bureau’s Detroit and Washington field offices and executive assistant director for the criminal, cyber, response and services branch. He was named deputy director, the No. 2 position responsible for the FBI’s investigative activities, in 2018.
“As you move forward, continue to stay true to our core values, be there for our partners, and take care of those who serve alongside you. Thank you for your service,” Abbate wrote.
contributed to this report.
