Trump Names New Acting Director for FBI

The seal of the FBI hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters in Washington on March 9, 2007. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has named a veteran agent to serve as acting director of the FBI.

The White House on Monday included Brian Driscoll on a list of officials being tapped to lead agencies on an acting basis.

Driscoll was tapped to lead the FBI pending the Senate confirmation of Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for director.

The move came hours after Paul Abbate, who served for the past four years as then-FBI director Christopher Wray’s deputy and had been in line to serve as acting director, told colleagues in an email that he was retiring.

In his email to senior executives, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Abbate said, “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.”

According to the FBI website, Driscoll joined the agency in 2007 as a special agent. He worked out of the New York field office and later joined the SWAT team. Driscoll was named by Wray last week as special agent in charge of the Newark field office and before that had served as commander of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.

“We will work closely with the current FBI leadership team and the transition team at the Department of Justice to serve as a bridge between the FBI’s previous permanent leadership team and the next one,” Driscoll wrote in an email to colleagues. “In the meantime, our goal is to keep the focus on the Bureau’s essential work, those we do the work with, and those we do the work for—the American people.”

He said Robert Kissane, a top counterterrorism official in the New York office, would serve as acting deputy director.

As for Abbate, his FBI career spanned 28 years and included various leadership roles. He served as the head of the Detroit and Washington field offices and held the role of executive assistant director for the criminal, cyber, response, and services branch. In 2018, he was appointed deputy director, overseeing the FBI’s investigative activities.

In a farewell message, Abbate urged his colleagues to maintain the bureau’s integrity.

“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,” he wrote.

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 US 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 during his first term, announced his retirement last month after serving as director for more than seven years. His decision followed Trump’s public declaration of his intention to nominate Patel as the new FBI director.

The Senate has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing for Patel as of Tuesday.

The FBI did not return a request for comment from NTD by publication time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News