JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican who has been an ardent backer of President Donald Trump, said Monday that he is resigning to take a leadership position at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will resign next month to serve as a co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, signifying the Missouri litigator's rapid ascent in Trump's political orbit.

In what appears to be a first for the FBI, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced Monday that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey will serve as co-deputy director of the agency after a rift arose last month with Deputy Director Dan Bongino.