Two highly decorated FBI counterterrorism agents in Washington DC were demoted after questioning a request to investigate alleged harassing phone calls made to Katie Miller, wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller. Special Agent in Charge Michael Burgwald and his deputy Courtland Rae were removed from their positions following their concerns about the legality and legitimacy of the probe, which reportedly did not meet the threshold for an FBI investigation. The FBI maintains that the demotions were a personnel decision made at the local field office level and not ordered by Director Kash Patel or influenced by the White House.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In December 2023, the FBI demoted two veteran counterterrorism leaders, Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae, from their positions in Washington DC. The pair were removed after questioning a request to investigate alleged harassing phone calls made to Katie Miller, wife of White House aide Stephen Miller. Their actions led Kash Patel, then FBI Director, to reassess the team's mission needs, according to Darren Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington field office. Critics argue that this decision was politically motivated and stifled investigations into serious threats. The White House maintains that Katie Miller had never interacted with Burgwald or Rae, while internal concerns over the investigation’s handling are cited as reasons for their reassignment.
Written for “FBI Demotions Over Miller Investigation” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
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The FBI removed two veteran counterterrorism leaders from their jobs after they disagreed with an investigation about alleged phone calls harassing Trump adviser Stephen Miller's wife, reports have claimed.
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reports → see → wife
FBI Washington Counterterrorism Division Special Agent in Charge, Michael Burgwald, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were demoted and sent back to the FBI's headquarters, according to MSNOW.
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Agent → demote → MSNOW
The demotions came after Burgwald and Rae questioned the request for the counterterrorism section to conduct a threat assessment into a person believed to be carrying out harassing phone calls to Katie Miller, the outlet reported.
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outlet → come → Miller
Burgwald and Rae raised questions about the legality and legitimacy of the probe, per the report.
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Burgwald → raise → report
Darren Cox, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington field office, told the Daily Mail on Saturday night that FBI Director Kash Patel 'did not order this decision.
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Patel → tell → decision
'
'This was a personnel decision made at the Washington Field Office level alone based on our constant evaluation of mission needs,' Cox said.
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Cox → make → needs
Burgwald is a West Point graduate who was presented with a national security-related award in 2016.
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who → present → 2016
Meanwhile, Rae worked on the case concerning the Boston Marathon bombing.
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Rae → work → bombing
Two FBI agents were demoted from their positions in Washington DC and sent back to headquarters for questioning an investigation into phone calls allegedly harassing Stephen Miller's wife, Katie Miller
The FBI insisted on Saturday that Kash Patel, the bureau director, 'did not order' the decision to demote the counterterrorism veterans
The moves at the FBI reportedly happened after a team found that the alleged calls harassing Miller were not enough for an investigation
FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia told the Daily Mail that the decisions 'were based on a number of factors not reflected in the reporting and handled through the appropriate processes at the Washington Field Office.'
Raia stressed that Patel had not 'directed the removal' of Burgwald and Rae from their positions.
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Patel → demote → positions
The team that reviewed the calls reportedly harassing Katie Miller found that they did not meet the threshold required for an FBI investigation, according to CNN.
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they → review → CNN
A senior White House official told the Daily Mail on Saturday that 'senior leadership at the FBI determined they were stifling investigations into very serious threats and made a unilateral decision to remove them.'
The official added that the Millers 'had never interacted or even met these agents.'
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Millers → tell → agents
The family moved from Arlington, Virginia, to military housing in the Washington DC area last fall.
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family → move → area
Protests had repeatedly popped up outside the home, though the senior White House official denied that was the reasoning for the Millers' relocation.
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that → pop → relocation
'There was an elaborate, well-documented stalking, doxing and threat campaign targeting the Millers’ residence,' the official told the Daily Mail.
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official → be → Mail
Stephen is currently the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, while his wife Katie, a former communications director to the vice president in the first Trump administration, hosts an eponymous podcast.
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Katie → host → podcast
Other Trump administration officials have also moved into military residences.
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officials → move → residences
A senior White House official told the Daily Mail that the Millers had never interacted with or met the demoted FBI experts
Darren Cox, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington field office (pictured next to Patel), said the decision was made 'based on our constant evaluation of mission needs'
The two counterterrorism veterans' demotion is the latest link in a string of controversies during Patel's leadership of the FBI.
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demotion → tell → FBI
Patel previously came under fire for his alleged misuse of bureau resources, including his trip to the 2026 Milan Olympics.
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Patel → come → Olympics
At the time, he was spotted partying with the US men's hockey team after their gold medal victory.
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he → spot → victory
Patel has also been criticized for allegedly using FBI resources for the benefit of his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.
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Patel → criticize → girlfriend
Wilkins had a security detail featuring FBI agents as of last November, according to MSNOW.
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Wilkins → have → MSNOW
Patel also took a private jet belonging to the FBI to an event in which Wilkins, who is a country singer, was performing the national anthem, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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Journal → take → anthem
The FBI has insisted that the decision to move Burgwald and Rae was not made at Patel's direction.
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decision → insist → direction
Since Patel began working as FBI Director, the bureau has removed senior officials from their roles.
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bureau → begin → roles
Patel reportedly fired or removed officials involved in investigations against Trump, according to Bloomberg Law.
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Patel → fire → Law
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