In an email to senior F.B.I. officials, Mr. Abbate wrote: “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 F.B.I. Now, with new leadership inbound, after nearly four years in the deputy role, I am departing the F.B.I.”
He added, “I have complete confidence in you and in your ability as a team to continue to carry out our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.”
The F.B.I. declined to comment.
Mr. Abbate was named deputy director in February 2021, and Mr. Wray has said it was one of the best decisions he made during his time at the bureau. As deputy, Mr. Abbate oversaw all of the F.B.I.’s domestic and international investigative and intelligence activities and operations. The bureau has about 38,000 employees with agents stationed around the world and other U.S. agencies.
-Mr. Trump has said he will nominate Kash Patel, 44, to be the bureau’s next director, but his confirmation hearing has not been scheduled yet.
Mr. Patel worked as a prosecutor at the Justice Department’s national security division from 2014 to 2017 and is expected to face bruising questions about his qualifications. He lacks the experience of previous directors, but his unwavering loyalty to Mr. Trump has catapulted him to consideration for the F.B.I.’s top job.
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