FBI officials Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae were removed from their counterterrorism posts and reassigned after their office found alleged harassing calls to Katie Miller did not warrant further investigation, sources said. The FBI cited mission needs.
Sources said the Washington field-office team found no terrorism nexus and bureau leadership objected to its decision. Darren Cox, who oversees the FBI's Washington office, confirmed the removals but said they were decided at the field-office level based on mission needs, denying that Director Kash Patel ordered them.
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Bloomberg Law that Stephen and Katie Miller had no interaction with Burgwald or Rae, and said senior FBI leaders determined the agents were stifling investigations into serious threats. Sources said the removals angered rank-and-file employees who view personnel moves as politicized. They also described an earlier dispute over career agents' resistance to using FBI resources to investigate neighborhood flyers criticizing Stephen Miller.
