Trump Appoints New Acting FBI Director
Driscoll has been selected to lead the FBI while awaiting the Senate’s confirmation of Kash Patel, Trump’s proposed candidate for the director position.
This decision came mere hours after Paul Abbate, who had served as deputy to former FBI director Christopher Wray for the last four years and was expected to assume the acting director role, informed his colleagues via email that he would be retiring.
In the email to senior executives, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Abbate stated, “When the Director requested that I extend my tenure beyond my mandatory retirement date for a brief period, I agreed to ensure continuity and facilitate the transition for the FBI. Now, with new leadership approaching, after nearly four years in the deputy role, I am departing the FBI today.”
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“We will collaborate closely with the current FBI leadership team and the transition team at the Department of Justice to act as a link between the previous permanent leadership and the incoming one,” Driscoll stated in an email to his colleagues. “Our objective during this time is to keep our attention on the Bureau’s critical tasks, the individuals we work alongside, and those we serve—the American people.”
He noted that Robert Kissane, a senior counterterrorism official in the New York office, would assume the role of acting deputy director.
Abbate’s career at the FBI spanned 28 years, during which he held numerous leadership positions, including heading the Detroit and Washington field offices and serving as executive assistant director for the criminal, cyber, response, and services branch. In 2018, he became the deputy director, overseeing the FBI’s investigative initiatives.
In his farewell note, Abbate encouraged his colleagues to uphold the integrity of the bureau.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Senate Judiciary joint committee hearing on the security failures leading to the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 30, 2024.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
Wray, who was appointed by Trump in his first term, announced his retirement last month after a tenure exceeding seven years. His announcement came after Trump announced his plan to nominate Patel as the new FBI Director.
As of Tuesday, the Senate has not yet set a date for Patel’s confirmation hearing.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment from NTD by the time of publication.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
