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By reputation, the FBI is the world’s foremost law-enforcement agency. But under the leadership of Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s handpicked director, the bureau has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the past two weeks alone, hackers stole FBI data and a top official resigned. Patel may be a thoroughly political creature, but the consequences of his slipshod tenure extend beyond the news cycle. Let’s dive in.

This hack sounds serious! Tell me more.

Last week, a group called ShinyHunters said it had broken into an online FBI jobs portal and stolen names, addresses, and other sensitive data about thousands of current, former, and aspiring agents. ShinyHunters first demanded that the bureau amend a public service announcement accusing the group of using “harassment strategies” and “pressure tactics” to extort victims. It later called the intrusion a “marketing campaign” and said it wouldn’t publish the stolen data.

Yikes. Is the resignation you mentioned connected? 

It seems to have resulted from a different sort of breach. On Monday, Andrew Bailey announced his departure as the bureau’s No. 2 official following behind-the-scenes tension with Patel. CNN reports that “relations between Patel and Bailey had quickly cooled shortly after his arrival at the agency last year.” CBS News adds that Patel cut his deputy out of meetings “because Bailey was constantly flagging things that were unconstitutional.” Bailey is a Trump ally who was seen internally as a potential Patel........

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