Two veteran FBI agents overseeing counterterrorism in Washington have been removed from their jobs over the handling of an investigation involving Katie Miller, the wife of senior White House adviser Stephen Miller.
Michael Burgwald, the special agent in charge of counterterrorism at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were ousted and reassigned to bureau headquarters on September 25.
The field office team had reviewed allegedly harassing phone calls Katie Miller received and determined they did not meet the threshold for an FBI investigation. No link to terrorism was found. The decision displeased bureau leadership.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said senior FBI leadership found the two were “stifling investigations into very serious threats.” Washington office chief Darren Cox confirmed the removals but denied FBI Director Kash Patel ordered them, calling it a field-office personnel decision.
The case is the latest in a string of removals of career agents since Patel took over. Former officials warn the loss of decades of counterterrorism experience could weaken the bureau’s work.