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FBI reassigns two Washington counterterrorism chiefs after a Katie Miller call review

Washington, District of ColumbiaPublished 28 Sep 2026

The J. Edgar Hoover Building, FBI headquarters in Washington.
The J. Edgar Hoover Building, FBI headquarters in Washington.

Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 · source

Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae were moved to headquarters Friday. The White House says they slowed a serious threat case. The field-office chief says Kash Patel did not order it.

On Friday the FBI removed Michael Burgwald and his deputy Courtland Rae from counterterrorism leadership at the Washington Field Office and reassigned them to headquarters. The move followed allegedly harassing calls to Katie Miller, the podcaster married to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. Accounts differ on the reason. The White House says they stifled or slowed a serious threat investigation. Other accounts say the field office found no terrorism case, or that the two questioned whether the request was legitimate. Washington Field Office chief Darren Cox says it was his personnel decision and that Director Kash Patel did not order it.

Shared facts

On Friday the FBI demoted Washington Field Office counterterrorism chief Michael Burgwald and deputy Courtland Rae and reassigned them to headquarters.

Michael Burgwald is the special agent in charge of counterterrorism at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Courtland Rae is his deputy.

The Washington Field Office counterterrorism division handles Middle East threats.

Darren Cox, head of the Washington Field Office, ordered the removal.

Darren Cox said FBI Director Kash Patel did not order the removal.

Cox said the change was a Washington Field Office personnel decision based on mission needs.

People familiar with the matter said Kash Patel was displeased with the office’s progress or pace.

White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said the Millers had not met or interacted with Burgwald or Rae.

Burgwald and Rae were reassigned and were not fired.

Michael Burgwald is a West Point graduate.

Burgwald has received an investigative award, and Bloomberg Law said both men received attorney general’s awards.

Courtland Rae worked on the FBI response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The Millers and their children moved from an Arlington home into military housing last fall.

Law enforcement investigated protest activity against the Miller family, which the Millers viewed as criminal threats.

Lauren Bis said the Millers did not move because of protests.

The White House said a stalking, doxing, and threat campaign targeted the Millers’ home.

Disputed facts

Accounts differ on whether Burgwald and Rae stifled or slowed a serious threat investigation, or whether the office treated the Katie Miller calls as something other than an FBI terrorism case.

Bloomberg

FBI Ousts Officials Probing Threats to Stephen Miller’s Wife

Ben Penn

Published 26 Sep 2026 accessed 28 Sep 2026

Facts

Bloomberg Law said other FBI officials and agents who crossed Kash Patel were fired.

Opinion

Former law enforcement officials called the reassignments a loss of decades of counterterrorism experience during the war with Iran.

Breitbart

DHS: FBI Agents Removed After Threats Made to Katie Miller

Lowell Cauffiel

Published 27 Sep 2026 accessed 28 Sep 2026

Facts

Breitbart said CNN suggested Kash Patel could have driven the move and called him a Trump loyalist who has forced out employees from past Trump investigations.

Darren Cox led an FBI Rapid Response post with the words “Dear FAKE News.”

CNN reported that those personnel moves have resulted in lawsuits.

Breitbart said CNN implied the investigation started because of flyers critical of the Millers and that career agents called it a waste of FBI time and resources.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

MS NOW

FBI agents probing threats against Stephen Miller’s wife demoted

Ken Dilanian

Published 26 Sep 2026 accessed 28 Sep 2026

Facts

The FBI confirmed the demotions on Saturday.

Sources said the final straw came after the Washington field office counterterrorism section was asked to assess a person believed to be making harassing calls to Katie Miller.

Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae each have deep national security experience.

Sources, including former FBI officials, said Burgwald had already drawn FBI Director Kash Patel’s ire over a series of disagreements.

Burgwald and Rae both worked on the investigation of the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Sources said the unusual request was greeted with disdain inside the FBI.

Many other experienced agents have retired earlier than planned.

Opinion

A former FBI official said harassing phone calls are not terrorism unless an actual terrorist is dialing.

MS NOW said the removals are the latest cases of experienced counterterrorism agents being sidelined, which has led FBI veterans to question whether the bureau’s terrorism-prevention ability has been weakened.

Those agents said they could not work at an FBI that has been politicized.

The National News Desk

Two senior FBI counterterrorism officials demoted after handling threats to Katie Miller

Emma Koppelman

Published 27 Sep 2026 accessed 28 Sep 2026

Facts

The reassignment removes experienced counterterrorism leaders from the Washington Field Office.

Opinion

No opinion marked.